BOOK 2: The Great Game
by TheNinjaWriter3000
Summary: After the deaths of Jay and Sensei Wu, the Ninja work to make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain. Lloyd struggles to accept his father's fate. The team must work to prevent anything like this from happening again, and to do so, they will go places they never knew existed. But will their journey be their downfall?(Pair-up with "The Knight's Journey) Rated M for Language/death.
1. Chapter 1

**AND we're back! **

**If you haven't please read "The Knight's Journey" before reading this! The first six chapters (specifically serve as a prelude to this!) As you read a chapter, please, PLEASE leave your thoughts and reviews.**

**Anyway, as always, I OWN NOTHING.**

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**Chapter 1: Counting up the Losses**

"*sniff*… Jay, I... I..." Nya tried to hold back the tears at the sight in front of her. Ashes were all that remained of the purple-blue explosion of light that contained the Overlord and Jay Walker. Ashes were all that remained of the boyfriend who she cheated on, who had just lost his parents, who just died to save them all. "I am sorry."

As the Samurai fell to her knees, now allowing the tears to pour down her face, and the sobs to cry out, Zane, Kai, and even Cole approached her from behind, also holding crying at the sight. Pixal, although distressed, walked to Lloyd, who stared at the Dark Army.

His father, who quickly ran to pick up the Golden Armor from the ashes, immediately gave the order to retreat, yet he only shuffled backwards in fear. The Nindroids, Skulkin, Serpentine, Stone Warriors, and Sons of Garmadon all did the same. Even though they clearly outmatched them 1,000 to one, they had just lost their all-powerful leader at the hands of just one Ninja. Lloyd knew what they were thinking.

The Green Ninja's fist lit up as he roared at them. "LEAVE, NOW!" Without any warning, he shot a dark green beam towards the feet of the nearest skulking and nindroids, and looked at his father in the eyes. "OR ELSE."

Lord Garmadon wasted no time. He turned to the army, yelling "I said retreat! RETREAT!" before heading towards them. In a panic, every vehicle, chopper, and foot soldier scrambled in the direction of the mountains and desert that faced the entrance to the city. Lloyd watched as the being that was Sensei Garmadon clutched to the Golden Armor, pointing the disarray of soldiers away from their site of defeat. He didn't turn away until all that he could see were shapes.

"...Lloyd..." He finally turned to see his friends circled around the body of Sensei Wu and the ashes of Jay. In the span of a day, the Overlord was destroyed before he could kill anyone else, but it cost both of their teachers and a brother.

But now was not the moment to mourn.

"Pixal, Zane, I want you to broadcast a city-wide message describing what has happened here today. Jay Walker died for them, he deserves recognition. Kai and Cole, you need to... take Sensei's _body_... back to Borg's tower. He'll give us the necessary transport to get him back to the Monastery for a proper burial. And Nya, you are going to come with me."

Nya hadn't stopped crying the entire time. "*sniff*… Where are we going?"

"We are going to take Jay's ashes, and spread them across the junkyard, like he did with his parents. And then..." He needed a moment to bring up the words, realizing that he wasn't sure he was prepared for what he had to do after. "Then, I'll tell my Mom about Dad."

* * *

In the city shelters beneath the major structures, thousands of citizens had hidden away hours before the Ninja had even shown up. The first sign of Garmadon's return alerted nearby neighborhoods to hide, and with the help of Dareth and the Mailman, word spread quickly enough to let there be zero innocent casualties. "Alright people, quiet!" In the primary safety shelter, Dareth had held close to the door in order to hear if anything was going on. After the sounds of lightning, he heard nothing for almost 30 minutes. Now, citizens were getting restless.

"Dareth, what do we do?"

The self-proclaimed brown ninja had no choice. "You all stay here. I'm going to see if our friends saved the day or not. If I don't get back, then... I guess the Mailman is in charge." He pointed to the purple-clad man, who was pushing Cyrus. "WHAT?"

Before he could respond, Dareth quickly entered the access code, and shut the large metal door behind him, allowing him up the stairs. He soon found himself right outside the front entrance of Ninjago City Center, right across from Borg Tower. No one was there. "Um... hello?" No response. _Oh, boy, here goes nothing. _"HELLO?!"

"Dareth." The brown ninja let out a short startled scream at the sound of Zane's voice. He was walking towards him from the opposite direction of the buildings, along with Pixal.

"Oh, Zane! Thank goodness you guys made it! Heh heh, I see no more bad guys, I'm guessing you once again saved us all, huh?" Dareth's smiles and jabs at friendly humor were met with two deadpanned, depressed nindroid faces. "Yes, but at a terrible cost..."

Zane turned back from the way he came, allowing Dareth to see Kai and Cole carrying a long board of the bounty in a stretcher style, with someone laying on it. As they got closer, Dareth gasped at the sight.

They were carrying Wu. And he wasn't breathing.

"No. NO! How could this have happened?" He started to cry. While he was hardly the closest member of their team or even the closest friend to Wu, he still held a sense of love and respect for the man who brought the Ninja into his life. Zane and Pixal each put a hand on his shoulder.

"He managed to distract the Overlord long enough for Jay to make a critical blow. But for his trick, the Overlord... snapped his neck." More tears fell, and sobs escaped.

"So... *sniff*… Jay did it? Where is he? And Lloyd, and Nya?" Trying to get answer, he looked at all four of them, but they each had their heads hung low, until Kai confirmed his worst fear.

"Jay sacrificed himself to destroy the Overlord. He managed to call along a hellstorm to counteract the dark powers, but in the process, they both disintegrated."

Cole nodded and continued where Kai stopped. "Now, Nya and Lloyd are on their to spread his ashes across the Junkyard where he grew up. So he can..." He choked on the last words. "So he can rest with his parents."

"I... I see. What about the Dark Army?"

"With the Overlord gone, they are without an all-powerful Master. They have fled, for now. Garmadon may rally them together for another attack, but not for some time. Right now, we need to find Cyrus Borg, so that we may get transport to give our Sensei a proper farewell." Dareth's ears perked up at the last sentence, realizing that everyone else had yet to find out.

"I know where he is. Follow me."

* * *

Using remnants from the Bounty, Nya and Lloyd had quickly assembled a small 4-wheeler to get them across the desert to the Junkyard. Fortunately, they didn't head in the same direction as the Dark Army had. Lloyd drove, allowing Nya to hold onto the small pot they put the ashes in; neither said a word the entire trip, until they arrived at nightfall.

Looking up at the dark, empty home of scraps, Nya spoke first. "This place was always beautiful. He was too..." He didn't initially respond, knowing that she needed a moment to let it all in. But after a few minutes, he said what was on his mind since she was last here:

"If that is truly how you felt, then why the hell did you cheat on him?" He saw her grimace at the question, but he didn't regret it; he needed to know. Not for himself, but for Jay's memory.

"Jay was caring. He was sweet, and kind. But..." she shut her eyes, fighting against another wave of tears. "I- I was selfish. I wanted more. He was so clingy at times, and I didn't want to have to... settle." The car stopped rapidly at the gateway of the Junkyard, allowing Lloyd to sharply turn to her.

"SETTLE? Nya, what the fuck!?"

"I'm sorry, but it's how I felt. I wasn't brave enough to tell him face to face, but... I wanted Cole. Ever since the Dark Island, I had feelings for him. I didn't think-" Before she could explain herself further, Lloyd got out of the car, slamming the makeshift-door behind him. "I don't want to hear excuses, Nya. Jay is dead now, and the best we can do is honor his sacrifice."

She hung her head down again before getting out of the car, holding onto the pot tightly. She didn't lie about the junkyard: it was still beautiful in her eyes, even with no lighting except the stars. But now, it is the place where she betrayed Jay's trust, which inadvertently caused the deaths of Ed and Edna walker, who were never anything but kind to her. _I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry._

After messing with the fuse box for a few moments, Lloyd's hand flung backwards as a few stray sparks spit out. "Dammit! Lights aren't working."

"Nobody has been here in over a month. It's likely they needed consistent upkeep. Let's leave them off, I think it is better this way." Despite not wanting to give her any credit at the moment, Lloyd nodded in agreement. There was something poetic about it: Jay brought them joy and happiness, and now that they are seeing him off, the world is quiet and dark.

They marched up the highest mound of scraps in the scrapyard's center. The climb took about 15 minutes, as they were being careful not to topple downwards, and not to drop the pot. When they reached the top, Lloyd looked to Nya.

"It's just you and me. If Sensei were still with us, then I'd have the whole team here. But he is not, and they can't take two funerals so close together. But we owe jay this much." He stepped to the side, allowing Nya to see the full view of the Junkyard, lit up by the vast stars above them. After a few minutes of contemplating, she opened up the jar.

"In the memory of Jay Walker, Protector of Ninjago, Slayer of the Overlord, a Warrior, a Ninja, a Brother, and... a Friend. Your sacrifice will forever be remembered in the histories of our land. Go in peace, Jay." With those words, she reached both arms out into the air, and released the pot from the heights of the mound. As the pot descended, the ashes within flew out and the particles were carried away through the wind, scattered across the junkyard.

Even in his state of anger, Lloyd could not deny her this moment of remorse. He put a hand on her shoulder as Nya once again bawled her eyes out, signaling her that he was there for her, despite her fatal mistakes. She turned and hugged him, crying in his shoulder. "It's okay. It's okay." With one final look to the stars, Lloyd smiled lightly. _We'll see you in the next life, brother. _"Come on, Nya. Let's go."

* * *

Using Cyrus's programs, Zane and Pixal managed to broadcast a city-wide message to every billboard, device, and safety shelter PA system. "Attention citizens of Ninjago City: this is the White Ninja Zane speaking. With me is our newest addition to the team, Pixal. We are contacting you to relay the message that the Overlord has been defeated, and his armies have retreated across the Sea of Sand."

A distant cheering could be heard echoing throughout the city. Even in the main safety shelter, where they were broadcasting, the citizens cheered. Except for Dareth, Cyrus, and the Mailman, who were already debriefed on the news.

Pixal stepped forward towards the camera. "While this undoubtedly is cause for celebration, it did not come without a cost. Sensei Wu, son of the First Spinjitzu Master, Keeper of the Light, Master of the Ninjas, perished at the Overlords hand. In doing so, he gave our Brother Jay Walker, the Blue Ninja, the chance to defeat the Overlord at the cost of his own life. As we rebuild what has been damaged, let us remember them, as they made our futures possible. Thank you."

As the cameraman signaled that they were done, Pixal and Zane hugged. "That was harder than I expected."

"I know. But we must be strong. Not for us. Not even for Wu or Jay. But for them; the people of Ninjago cannot see us weak." As if she had a knack for terrible timing, Gale Gossip pushed through the crowd of villagers and past Cyrus and the Mailman, stopping for just a second to smile at Dareth, and walked up to the pair. "Zane, Pixal! I'm-"

"Gale Gossip, yes, we've met before." She shook her head. "No, I wanted to say, I'm so sorry for your loss. Their sacrifices won't be forgotten." Zane was taken aback by her sincerity. He allowed her to clasp onto their paired hands in hopes of comforting them, before Cyrus wheeled himself forward.

"Ahem, my technicians have informed me that a hovercraft is ready to take you back now. Kai and Cole have already boarded above us, with... _him." _Saying Wu's name as if he walked on board felt wrong. "Thank you, Cyrus Borg. Won't you join us? And you, Dareth?"

"Us?" Both men were startled by the invite; the ceremony was meant to be sacred.

"Without you, we would have never learned of the Overlord's return. And Dareth, you are a part of the Family. You deserve to be there just as much as the rest of us." Dareth stood up straight in a proud manner. He wasn't acting smug, but genuinely trying to look presentable. "Zane, I would be honored."

"Then let us go. Everyone! We will return soon! For now, go to your homes, be with your loved ones! The city is under surveillance by Cyrus's personal programs. If there is an attack, we will be back immediately!"

* * *

Nya and Lloyd drove in the direction of Jamanakai Village, knowing full well they'd never make it to what was previously Garmadon's Citadel in time to get back to Wu's funeral ceremony. Without any details, Lloyd had transmitted a message to Misako simply stating that he needed to meet them in the village, and that it was an emergency that needed to be discussed in person.

"We're here."

Jamanakai Village hadn't changed a bit from Lloyd's last encounter in the village. He'll always remember this as the place where he first got his ass whooped by the Ninja. Only yesterday, thinking about it would have made him laugh. That memory only brought him sorrow now.

In the distance, through the starry sky, they saw what looked like a miniature Destiny's Bounty fly down at top speed. Misako. "MOM!"

"Lloyd, what is it? What happened?" The old woman jumped down and ran to embrace her son, but as soon as she started asking questions, he turned his gaze away. Nya did the same from behind. "Tell me, Lloyd!"

"Mom... Uncle Wu is dead."

The color that had previously been there drained from Misako's face. "_What?_"

"So is Jay. He died to destroy the Overlord... And..." He couldn't bear to say what he needed to. So Nya did. "And...Sensei Garmadon has been turned back into Lord Garmadon."

She couldn't believe it. After everything they had been through, everything they fought for to achieve peace, only to have both her Husband and brother in law to be taken from her on the same day. "No..."

"Mom, we've paid our respects to Jay. But now we need to go to the ruins of the Monastery to give Uncle Wu a proper farewell."

Misako knew the trials and tribulations of losing loved ones from the Serpentine War, and understood that there was rarely enough time to mourn before moving on. "...Okay. We'll take the _Destiny's Shadow. _It can get us there much faster than your makeshift truck."

* * *

Both the Ninjago Air Transport and the _Destiny's Shadow _arrived at the ruins of the old Monastery within minutes of each other. The night's sky was still dark and clear, but the sun would rise soon enough, and Lloyd didn't want to waste any time. "All right guys, we know what we need to do. Dareth, Zane, Cole, and Kai: You all gather wood for the pyre."

"From where Lloyd?" The green ninja made a gesture at their surroundings, to which Kai choked a gasp. "You... can't be serious!"

"I am. This place was a part of Wu. It is fitting that he his physical form departs from this world among it's ruins." Although begrudgingly, Kai nodded and proceeded to do as Lloyd ordered, followed by the other three. Everyone else cleared a space just outside the entrance on the hill by the tree, which had only begun to grow after the Hypnobrai originally burned down the Monastery, which Misako first noticed. "Rebirth. Wu would be proud of this."

It took everyone all of but an hour to clear a space and gather enough wood to make a large, thick bedding that wasn't too close to burn down the tree. Misako and Lloyd carried the stretcher and placed his body on top, as Cyrus, Pixal, Dareth, Nya, Zane, Cole, and Kai all lined up around it. Once they moved back into the line, Lloyd looked to Kai, who lit up his fist. With tears streaming down her face, Misako stepped forward once more, and began to recite the words:

"In the memory of Sensei Wu, Son of the First Spinjitzu Master, Embodiment of the Dragons, Guardian of Ninjago, Mentor to the Ninja, a Brother, an Uncle, and a Father to us all. Your sacrifice will forever be remembered in the histories of our land. Go in peace, Wu." As she stepped back, Kai moved forward with his flaming fist stretched out, burning the first ply of wood closest to him. Within 30 seconds, Wu's body was engulfed in the flames, and nine pairs of eyes teared up without embarrassment.

* * *

The group stayed on the mountaintop for several hours past sunrise, contemplating all that had happened, and all that was yet to come. Eventually, it was Dareth who spoke first. "Well, what now? Jay and Sensei Wu are gone, and so is the Overlord, but the Dark Army escaped. We can't let their sacrifices be in vain!"

Zane nodded in agreement. "Here is what we know: The Princess Harumi collaborated with the Overlord Virus to plan this attack, betraying the Royal Family. The Emperor and Empress were imprisoned by their forces, and they have yet to be seen since. I calculate they were prisoners on board one of the transports that fled, meaning they remain in custody." The others grimaced at this news. "Furthermore, all of their forces fled beyond the desert, and no outside villages have reported seeing them."

Cole stood up to face everyone. "Ninjago is in need of a strong leadership, one that can prevent another event like this happening, at least until we find a way to rescue the Emperor and Empress. Under their guidance, we will lead Ninjago into a new stage of self-protection. What do you think, Lloyd?"

But he was still in deep thought on a different matter. "We lost three true friends today."

"What do you mean, Lloyd?"

"I looked into Lord Garmadon's eyes. I didn't see my father. He wasn't anything like the last time the venom corrupted him. This was different." Misako knew immediately what he meant, even though he didn't.

"That's because... it's no longer the venom that embodies his spirit. Your father has been reverted back to his true state of power: He has pure Oni blood coursing through his veins."

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**AND HERE WE ARE, EVERYONE! I know this was a shorter chapter, but bear with me, there is plenty more to come. PLEASE leave a review for any comments or questions!**

**R&R!**


	2. The Pain That Keeps on Giving

**Hey y'all! Thanks for the feedback, I'd appreciate all the reviews you can give me. REMEMBER TO READ "THE KNIGHT'S JOURNEY" (at least ch. 1-6) BEFORE READING THIS.**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

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**Chapter 2: The Pain that Keeps on Giving**

*After the Overlord's Defeat*

The entirety of the Dark army retreated through the desert that faced the South entrance of the city. Skulkin, Serpentine, Stone Warriors, Nindroids, and the Sons of Garmadon fled on their vehicles, with Lord Garmadon on Killow's back leading them.

"My Lord, where are we going?" The Quiet One, riding on the back of Mr. E, next to them, asked the Dark Lord. Garmadon simply grimaced at her, causing the bleached-haired girl to bow her head down.

"For now, we head South. Then we'll plan. We still have an army, not to mention our _prisoners,_ the key is to keep them together."

She nodded in response, not that he cared to look. The army rumbled through the scorching sun, biding time for their eventual strike.

* * *

*1 Month Later*

Cole was right. Without the Royal Family, and the death of the city's mayor by the Dark Army's attack, Ninjago City required an emergency leadership. It was decided by a private council of representatives that the Ninjas would fill this position for the near future, at least until peace was fully restored and secured.

Zane, Pixal, and Cyrus Borg handled the City's transfer back to pre-Borg amenities, including regular cars, train transportation, and regular phones. Measures were taken to ensure that no trace of the Overlord Virus could have survived.

Cole and Nya worked together with Dareth to lead reconstruction efforts and engineering of new structures to further advance the City's range. Within weeks, new projects had begun to erect all around the original city lines, and new skyline-trains ran through the new skyscrapers **(imagine season 9 Ninjago City.)**

Kai put his own skills to work with the Police commissioner and Borg's resources to fortify new City defenses, including portable tank-cannons, all of which required manual guidance to prevent hacking.

Lloyd and Misako coordinated with the others, but primarily stayed in Borg Tower, the teams new base of Operations, to focus on the scripts and texts of the First Spinjitzu Master and Sensei Wu, which the latter had kept safely at Misako and Garmadon's citadel in the event of an untimely death. They also worked with the advisement of a certain tea-obsessed elderly lady. After Misako had explained the story of the Oni and Dragon to the team, Lloyd had asked if any of the two posed a threat to Ninjago, to which she had one response:

"There is only one in Ninjago. Mystake. I believe she'll be willing to join our efforts. For now, Lloyd, I believe Wu would want you to have this." Wu's Bo-staff, passed down from the First Spinjitzu Master, was more than just a gift or a walking stick: It was a symbol that Lloyd was now the new Sensei of the team, even if he felt he wasn't ready.

Over the last month, they had all made progress on their specific assignments. The citizens managed to make the necessary transition back to standard tech. Buildings that were damaged or fully destroyed in the Dark Army's raze had been rebuilt, and now the city was expanding to accommodate incoming villagers who feared the Dark Army attacking their own villages. Although no attacks have been attempted or reported by surveillance, the new city defenses were always on standby. Yet Lloyd was still troubled by what he found in Wu's texts.

"Mom, my grandfather and his sons left so much behind. The Oni and Dragon wars, a Never-Realm, the first Serpentine, the Scrolls of Forbidden Spinjitzu, this "Master Chen," the Master of Wind and Masters of Time, and now I'm finding traces of a "realm crystal!" How could they leave all this behind for us to solve?" Misako looked to Mystake, both of whom truly felt bad for him; so much pressure does not belong on anyone's shoulders, not even the Green Ninja's.

"They never meant for you to have this. Wu spent years searching for his father's realm crystal. He never found anything. As for everything else, well... Ninjago's history is complicated. No one can fix its problems on their own. That's why you have the others." Lloyd new Mystake was doing her best, but the words still felt hollow as the pressure of uncovering these secrets got to him. And that wasn't even the worst part.

"Mom... what if Lord Garmadon tries to find any of these artifacts or people for the Dark Army?"

"I refuse to believe he would intentionally ally himself with Chen or the elemental Masters that personally betrayed him and Wu. But as for the artifacts... that's why we're here. To prevent them from causing any more harm. Besides, we don't even know if this separate entity within Garmadon's body has all of his memories." The thought of the Dark Lord not remembering everything from his past was depressingly reassuring to Lloyd.

* * *

Far away from the world of Ninjago, in a void of black, a young man with green translucent skin and black hair opened his eyes, surprised by his lack of surroundings. "AH! Where am I? Ghoultar? Soul-Archer? Where are you?"

_**"QUIET." **_The raspy voice from the void silenced him, though he couldn't see who was speaking. "Who are you?"

**_"That is not your concern right now. Nor is it any of theirs." _**As the voice stopped, the ghost turned to each side to see more figures appearing in the void, all of the looking just as confused as they are. As if they woke up from a long slumber and found themselves in strange new waters. He saw a well-groomed man with a mustached wearing sorcerers robes, a four-armed Djinn, a man with a grey beard wearing librarians clothing, a black-masked figures in red armor, a cyborg with white skin and a ridiculous hat, _a rather terrifying looking black-skinned demon_, a female serpentine with black scales and royal-looking clothing and a scepter, and a man who wore standard villager garb. They all had the same reactions as the ghost did.

"Where am I?" "What is the meaning of this?" "Who are you?" "BROTHER, IS THAT YOU? YOU'RE OLD!"

**_"SILENCE, all of you."_**A hush fell over the small group as the voice surrounded them. **_"You are all here because I have sensed a great destiny for you. United as one, our forces would measure beyond anything the 16 realms have ever seen."_**

The demon with large horns pointed around him accusingly, in an eerily similar voice. **_"We Oni would not make a move until we are certain there is no threat against us. Why should we join?"_**

A deep chuckle encompassed the void, sending a chill through them all.**_ "Because_****_ the time to take action is now. WU, son of the First Spinjitzu Master, is Dead. Ninjago is now under the protection of his disciples, whose training is nowhere near complete." _**

the ghost couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Sensei is... dead? _An evil smile took form across his face, looking around, he saw similar reactions. The black-hooded figure looked to the gray-bearded man he called brother, who seemed to be nodding in confirmation. The sorcerer put his fingers to his temple, muttering "I heard rumors, but I didn't dare believe..." The Cyborg cheered. The female Serpentine cackled in joy.

But the villager looked completely confused. "Erm, what do you mean? What forces do I have? And who is this Wu?"

**_"All will be explained in time to each of you. Soon enough, the army will find you, and with key artifacts that you will help gain, we will be unstoppable." _**The villager nodded in understanding, though he still seemed confused as to how he could possibly contribute. Then the Djinn looked around him. In his thick accent, he made his own complaint, more relevant to the group than he realized:

"But I am trapped in a lamp! How will I be freed?" The serpentine hissed in agreement. "I too am bound to a prison."

"I'm drifting through the sea of time."

The ghost realized he too had no way of getting out of his predicament. "I'm trapped in the cursed realm!" The voice waited for their complaints to silence on their own before speaking.

**_"I have a plan for freeing each of you from your imprisonments and sentences of banishment. In return, you and the entirety your forces will join our cause. Prepare yourselves. We are coming for you."_**

In a white flash, Morro opened his eyes again to find himself back in the cursed realm, next to the Soul-Archer. "What is wrong, Morro?"

"No time to explain! We must get word to everyone: I know how we can escape!"

* * *

"Kai, I've told you, none of our surveillance has caught on to their movements. The Dark Army has not attacked any settlements in Ninjago since the Overlord's defeat. When they show their ugly faces, you'll be the first to know." The Commissioner found himself explaining to the red Ninja once again. Kai had repeatedly been hounding the Police for any information of their enemies whereabouts, tiring the Commissioner, Simon, and Tommy in the process.

"Fine, but if you hear anything, no matter the time or day, I need to know." He marched out of the station onto his new red-blade cycle, which Nya designed as a distraction from her arduous work in the City. "Guys, this is Kai. I'm done with the Police today, still no word on the Dark Army. Does anyone want anything to east? I was going to stop somewhere before heading back to the Tower."

"Negative." "I'm all good, Kai." "No, thank you." _Not even Dareth? __Alright then, more for me. _On the Outside, Kai arguably handled the losses of Jay and Wu the best. He refused to break down in front of his team; they required a strong will to get through this, and he needed to be that will.

But on the inside, a part of him died with them. Even though he never fully accepted Jay with Nya, he loved the ginger-haired goof who always brought a smile to the team. He couldn't say the same for Cole. And Wu reminded him so much of his Father, before he disappeared with his Mother. Food and work seemed to be his only distractions from falling into a pit of despair.

"Alright then. I'll see you soon." _Now, where to go? _He had gotten used to the routine food trucks right outside the Police stations that he couldn't remember the last time he had a decent sit-down meal. In fact, all of the major food joints were shut down right before the Overlord's attack on the Palace, and only begun opening up again in the last few days. How about...

"Mmmm, Mister Chen's noodles!"

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, above the clouds, the Dark Army had set up camp at the Golden Peaks, the site of the Golden Weapon's creation. Makeshift tents, vehicles, and aircrafts were scattered across the mountainside as Lord Garmadon meditated over the pit of molten liquid, the Golden Armor at his side. For the last several weeks, the human and Serpentine members of the Dark Army have relied on berries and squirrels for sustenance, while Skulkin, Nindroids, and Stone Warriors primarily acted as sentries.

The situation was undesirable, to say the least, but nobody dared to oppose Garmadon's orders. Without the Overlord, he was the obvious choice to lead. But even harumi's certainty wavered. Not in him, but in his plans. "My Lord?" Bowing her head, she humbly approached the Dark Figure, whose eyes shot open at the sound of her voice. "Speak, Quiet One."

"My Lord, the army grows restless. They yearn for action. After the sacking of the Royal Palace, they have a taste for blood. The deaths of the Gaurds and Mr. Hutchins were not enough to please their appetites, and..." Her voice trailed off, knowing what she was about to say would deeply anger him.

"And?"

"Now some are considering killing the Emperor and Empress for sport." In a dark flash, Garmadon unleashed a purple aura through the camp, blowing out every fireplace and bringing their attention to him as he slowly stood up and turned around. Now, the only source of light was the molten pit behind him. "WHAT?" His red eyes scanned the surrounding warriors, who all followed Harumi's lead and bowed their heads, refusing to look him in the eyes out of self-preservation.

"KNOW THIS. The Emperor and Empress are vital to our success. We have been here for almost a month. I know. But if any of you so much as think of backing out of our alliance, I promise a slow and merciless end to you." His calm voice made the speech all the more chilling. "We will not reside up here for much longer, I can promise you that. I have already set our next phase in motion. It is only a matter of time now."

With that, he turned back around and resumed his meditating. The warriors went back to their respective conversations and reignite the fires, while Harumi looked to Mr. E quizzically. The silent biker general shrugged, and the two of them stepped forward to the dark Lord once more. "I humbly apologize, My Lord, but... what plans have you set in motion? What is our next phase?" He held up one hand to silence her, and without turning around to face them, he spoke. "Domination is our endgame. No matter the cost, I will see that goal met. Even if it is a personal cost. Our army is strong, but we are built upon the ideal of unity against the damned Ninja, meaning that there are more out there who share our... _ideals."_

Harumi nodded, beginning to understand. "You've invited another faction to join us?"

"The next of many. but they weren't invited; its join or die, and these fanatics are not the type to sacrifice themselves foolishly. They will come and join our ranks as equals soon enough. And then, we'll gather ancient resources hidden throughout Ninjago and our fellow realms."

"To what end, My Lord?" To her surprise, he didn't respond, but instead let out an evil laugh as she walked away with Mr. E, anticipating what the future held for them.

* * *

**Chapter 2 is done! I'm planning on this being a short buildup, but once the action starts, it will really get going. I will update whenever I can!**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.**


	3. Silver Lining

**Hey y'all! Let's do this:**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Silver Lining**

"I'm sorry, Brad, but we can't afford to continue our current curriculum. Not with all hands on deck with the City." Dareth found himself explaining to the boy why they had to cancel the rest of the years classes, which the students did not take kindly to. Not even Gene. Now, the students had traveled all the way to Ninjago City to meet with their mentors face-to-face in Borg Tower, but all they were met with were Dareth and a distracted Lloyd, who continued to study the texts on the table behind them.

"But substitute-teacher/Grand Sensei Dareth-"

"Just Dareth, please."

"We don't want to go back to our normal lives. You know our upbringing; we were taught to be the next generation of evildoers. Our parents won't accept us now. They think we're too "corrupted" by Lloyd's teachings. We have nowhere else to go!" the other students nodded and clamored in agreement, causing Dareth to look at Lloyd for support. The green Ninja sighed as he looked up from the writings at his former classmates. "What would you have us do instead, Brad? We cannot go back to Darkeley's, and my father's own academy of students has also had to be disbanded as a result."

The young ones all looked at each other for an answer, when Gene stepped forward. "Lloyd, we know everything. We know Principal Wu was killed, and that Mr. Jay sacrificed himself to protect our land. What if you allowed us to continue their legacy?"

"What exactly are you proposing Gene?"

"Borg Tower is your new base of operations. We saw the training floor on our way up. What if instead of teaching us to be scholars, you continue your Sensei duties by teaching an entirely new generation of Ninja, comprised of both us and your father's former students." Smiles spread across the faces of the classmates at this possibility, and Dareth looked once again to Lloyd for an answer. The young Sensei thought quizzically for several minutes before speaking again.

"If, and I mean IF, we do this, your training will be grueling. None of you have elemental powers. Your mentors all have their own duties outside of teaching. It won't be easy, you understand?" Dareth smiled.

Brad and Gene looked at each other, than at the rest of their classmates. "That is why we want to do it."

"Then let's gather everyone."

* * *

Several hundred miles off of Ninjago Island's coast, cultists of Chen continued there obligatory work, though in the last few days, they noticed a drstic change of pace and direction in their tasks. "What do you think Master Chen is planning, Kapau?" Chop asked as he carried more munitions to their jet.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's gonna be biiiiiig. Master Chen always knows what is going on."

*In Chen's Throne Room*

"Clouse, what is going on? In the span of a day, you have successfully diverted all of our resources to fueling the jets and mechs without telling me, causing a collapse in the Noodle factory! And without so much as a warning, you send my daughter to-"

"Master, please trust me. We will be off this island without any resistance met from Ninjago's forces. I have experienced a shared vision. Our plan must changeif we are to survive what is to come."

"And... what is to come?" Clouse chuckled as he held on to his spell book. "A new order, Master. One for all enemies of the light, not just us. As I told, Wu is now dead. With him out of the way, we can finally make our move soon. Imagine: a world with no Ninja, no interference from troublemakers. We will have a shared control."

"Yes, YES- wait, shared?" Clutching his staff, he was prepared to further question his underling before Eyezor marched in.

"Master Chen, Clouse, the Jets are prepared for departure. What location shall I inform our pilots to prepare for?"

* * *

*Later*

"I'm back! I brought more of Chen's noodles!" Kai announced his entrance from the elevator, expecting Cole and Dareth to rush forward for Puffy-pot stickers. Instead, he found the entire room full of people. Besides Zane, Pixal, Nya, Cole, Dareth, Lloyd, Misako, and Cyrus Borg, there were several children, many of whom he recognized as his students from Darkeley's.

"But... uh, not enough, it seems." Nya shook her head out of secondhand embarrassment, and Zane tilted his head out of confusion. "This is your third day in a row getting takeout from Mister Chen's Noodle's, Kai."

"Oh yeah, there just gre- WAIT, no distractions! Why is there a small army of children in our HQ?" Brad and Gene crossed their arms in frustration, as did several others. Misako decided to answer instead of letting a small riot to break out. "Kai, Lloyd has decided that it is time you all resume your duties as mentors. But not in the classroom; you will teach them to be Ninja." The red Ninja almost dropped his delicious takeout.

"How? We have no time for that when Lord Garmadon is out there!" They shared his concern, but as the Commissioner had explained, there have been no sightings of the dark Army since the Overlord's defeat. Lloyd had already considered that when he came up with his plan. "Kai, it's already been decided. They'll live here in Borg Tower Dareth and I will start them with the basics while the rest of you finish your duties to the City, and Misako and Mystake continue to teach me everything I must know as a Sensei. Once we reach that point, you all will continue to teach them more advanced forms. They will be ready when we must face Darkness once more. We owe this to Wu. We owe this them both."

A long, stubborn silence followed. Eventually, Cole spoke up. "What if danger shows up before that point? It always shows up whenever we least expect it."

"I have been learning about a large assortment of artifacts and individuals we need to find who can help us when that happens. There are several things that you don't know that will help us on our quest to bring absolute peace; several things my Grandfather and his children left behind. Our first priority: we need to find all of the elemental Masters."

* * *

The blackness of night hovered above the large camp at the mountaintop. At Garmadon's command, the Dark army had begun to construct a quasi-temple at the mouth of the molten pit, using any and all necessary resources. Eventually, Pythor approached Garmadon with a few fellow serpentine behind him.

"Err, Lord Garmadon. You asked to speak with me?" The Dark Lord turned towards the albino Anacondrai, still clutching onto the Golden Armor. "Yes, _King _Pythor." He did not like the way Garmadon pronounced his title. "I wanted to ensure your... _cooperation..._when you learn of our next phase."

"I will do everything necessary for the cause!"

"I believe you, but only because I know the cause also serves you. As I've said before, we need to expand our horizons in order to expand our vision. In order to do so, we need to expand our forces." Pythor nodded in agreement, knowing all of this from before. He was not entirely sure where he was going with this. "Yes, my Lord. What would you have me do?"

To the serpent's surprise, he stepped forward and put one arm on his back, leading him toward the nearest edge of the mountain. "I would have you _agree _with what is about to happen. Nothing more, nothing less." He was confused for only a moment before he saw several shapes emerging from the clouds in the distance.

A skulking scout also spotted it. "INCOMING AIRCRAFTS FROM THE SOUTH!" Bikers, Nindroids, Serpentine, Stone Warriors, and Skulkin all rushed to prepare for a fight before Garmadon raised an arm to put them at ease. "No. These are the allies I spoke of." Pythor leaned forward to make out what they were. The shapes seemed... _familiar. _Almost as if they were...

_OH NO._ "CHEN?!" Surely enough, several hundred snakehead airships, many of which carried stone mechs modeled after the serpentine's, landed lower down the mountainbase. At the end of the fleet was one significantly larger ship carrying a cage.

With Pythor and Harumi at his sides, Lord Garmadon stepped down the mountain, the camp making way for him. From the landing ships, an old Master Chen approached upwards, with Chen and a one-eyed warrior at his sides. The two groups met at the end of the Camp.

"Chen."

"My former student. I was worried you would have forgotten me in your _rebirth._" Garmadon's fists tightened. "You will address me as LORD Garmadon, your superior. I was once a lord under you, now I have risen far above your petty desires." At the sound of a borderline threat, Chen's cultists started to draw their weapons for a fight, but they were easily outmatched by the Dark Army, who already responded to their movements by drawing their own weapons.

Chen, however, was unmoved. "If what you say is true, why do you need me? Clouse here tells me that he was told to have my forces join your army, _under _you. Why should I?"

"You know exactly why. It's the only reason you bothered to come. Together, we stand strong. We will be patient, building up our forces, but through our vision, Ninjago will be _ours." _Chen looked to Clouse, who nodded. He looked to Pythor, who sneered slightly before bowing his crowned head as a sign of respect. Then he looked back to his cultists, and to the Dark Army. Without any warning, he barked out a laugh.

"HA! Well, I guess there is a silver lining in losing your prized student after all. Very well, my Lord, the Order of the Anacondrai is now one with the Dark Army." He extended his arm, and Garmadon grabbed on his forearm in agreement. Cultists cheered, Eyezor shook hands with Mohawk, Kapau and Chope high fived each other and every new ally they could, Clouse and Harumi consulted one another with their own spellbooks. In the rush of cheering, Pythor only stared blankly in the crowd, before the entirety of the Dark Army was silenced by the celebratory roar of one EXTREMELY large purple Anacondrai serpent emerging from its cage. Pythor stared at his old friend, a large smile spreading across his face.

_"_OK, I can get used to them."

* * *

**There we go! I know this was a shorter chapter, but not to worry, there is plenty more on the way! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	4. A Change of Scenery

**Hey guys. There is another time skip in this chapter, fair warning. It won't be the last.**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Change of Scenery**

Almost an additional five months have passed since the team's addendum was made. Meaning almost half a year had passed since their friend's deaths. None of them have forgotten, but to Lloyd's appreciation, they worked hard to move forward rather than mourn.

Brad, Gene, and the rest of the students had trained constantly on a daily basis, both in the simulation room and with any one of the Ninja. As they began to complete their duties to the City, the Ninja had more time to teach their new students more advanced skills. All except for Kai, who had a separate mission.

As Lloyd said, they needed to keep order, for Ninjago's sake. They wouldn't be able to do so without knowing precisely how many other elemental masters were out there, and where they'd align themselves if the Dark Army were to ever show their faces again. It wasn't easy of course, in the time since they'd recruited their new students, Kai had traveled throughout the Continent of Ninjago, and he had only managed to find five masters; and that was only thanks to the texts Lloyd had.

He first found Bolobo, Master of Nature, in the endless jungle. Fortunately for Kai, the man wasn't one for violence. Bolobo had restrained himself to a peaceful lifestyle in his biome, but agreed to take the call to arms if any dark forces threatened the land and he was summoned.

Fortunately, he found three masters simultaneously next. Unfortunately for Gravis, Ash, and Chamille, it turns out using your gifts to control gravity, turn your physical form into smoke, and shapeshift as a parlor trick in a traveling circus is not exactly keeping a low profile. The master of Fire had to stay on their tale for several weeks before managing to speak to them, but after he explained the situation and clarified details on the Overlord's defeat, as they'd already heard rumors of Jay's death, they agreed to the same terms as Bolobo.

The fifth and final master Kai had found was by far the hardest, and actually purely accidental. As he was traveling through a small fisher's outpost along the northern coast, he stumbled upon the master of Shadow, Shade. By far the hardest to convince, they grey-skinned man did not take kindly to a spiky haired stranger telling him what his moral duty was with his powers, and had beckoned Kai to leave him in peace. Now, they found themselves discussing the matter in the local tavern.

"Please. I know you've heard the news of the Jay Walker, the Master of Lightning."

Shade scoffed, as if the mention of Jay was meant to be leverage over him. "Yeah, I heard. The idiot thought he could take on the damned Overlord on his own. What did he thi-" To his surprise, Kai's demeanor of a humble traveler rapidly shifted on the defense, his eyes now flaring red. "TAKE. THAT. BACK." The tavern's atmosphere hushed over as everyone stared at the pair, ready for a brawl if necessary.

The master of Shade lifted his hands in a polite form of surrender to the point. "OK, OK, sorry." The fiery temper cooled down, allowing the outside conversations and music to resume, and giving Kai the chance to speak once more. "Jay didn't die because he thought he'd succeed. He died because he believed his sacrifice would do some good, and it did. But in the power vacuum both he and the Overlord left behind, we need to evolve to fill it. Dark forces will return, whether it be today, tomorrow, or years to come. And I promise you: They'll learn from their mistakes. They will search under every rock to find anyone that poses a threat, and that sure as hell includes you."

Deep down, Shade knew he was right. But that didn't change the fact that he enjoyed his quiet, reclusive life here. Not to mention he didn't get along well with others. "*sigh* You're crazy y'know that? I mean, you and your team are willing to expose yourselves with the power you have, and risk taking on danger practically every day!"

"It's the mantle of responsibility that comes with these powers. All of our ancestors fought together in the Serpentine Wars to defeat the evil of their era. It is right that we'd do the same."

Shade hung his head in defeat as he finished his drink. "...OK. I accept. But _ONLY _in the event where you absolutely need me, not for some small-time stuff that a mall cop or even a real cop could handle." Kai nodded in agreement, then reached into his satchel, taking out a wrist-communicator of Nya's design. "Keep this on you at all times. It allows us to know our location, in the event you are somehow captured or off the grid and we can't reach you. We'll contact you through it, and you can contact us."

He took the communicator and placed it on his left wrist. "I don't like the idea of you knowing my whereabouts, but I accept. Remember my terms, Master of Fire."

"I will, Master of Shadows. Thank you." With a final sip, Kai put down a handful of coins, paying for both of their tabs, and walked outside. _Sunset. Better fill Lloyd in. _He pressed on his own communicator, opening Lloyd's channel. After several seconds of waiting, the young Sensei answered and appeared above the wrist as a small hologram.

_"This is Lloyd. Kai, what is your status?"_

"The Master of Shadows has entered the fold." The blonde Ninja smiled brightly at the news. _"That is excellent, Kai. No further advancements here besides the ongoing training of our students and my continuous research."_

"Have you found anything that would help me?"

_"Very little, I'm afraid. No other texts contain the last nown whereabouts of the previous remaining elemental masters. I have mostly found myself studying up on my next, _personal _mission: I'm going off to find the Realm Crystal, along with two other important artifacts." _Inwardly, Kai was surprised. "You're going to find it alone?"

"_Yes. As the direct descendant of the First Spinjitzu Master, I have the best chance of locating his tomb. While I am off doing that with Mystake, my Mom will be working with our newest contact, Clutch Powers, to find the Scrolls of Forbidden Spinjitzu. With these artifacts safely stored in our protection, I have no doubt we will be doing Ninjago a great service."_

"Well... if you say so, Lloyd. So, what information do you have for me?"

"_Latest reports rumor, but do not confirm, a strange presence that locals from the arctic glaciers in the northernmost biome have described as "a magical power." No further details, unfortunately, but it's the best we've got."_

"I understand. Consider it checked. I'll see you soon." quickly switching the communicator off, Kai walked forward and hopped onto the _Destiny's Shadow,_ setting coordinates and amaking his way toward the artic glaciers.

* * *

Cheers echoed around the Dark Army camp. Since the addition of the Chen Cultists, production of the construction Garmadon had ordered increased dramatically. With Chen's connection's, they even managed to get weekly deliveries of noodles, getting rid of the food problem. And that was only after their faction joined.

Before too long, a withered old man had traveled up the mountain, claiming he needed to speak with whoever was in Charge. Garmadon recognized him immediately as Krux, one of the two Master's of Time. Although he and Chen were at odds, he agreed to join the new alliance, so long as his brother would be brought back as well. Once in the fold, he introduced his own personal army: Children of the Great Devourer. Krux harvested the Vermillion, and with the help of his own _blacksmiths,_ the snake-soldiers had armor and vehicles that made them a true force to be reckoned with.

The Serpentine tribes were initially uneased with the new developments: Chen's cultists seemed to also view Pythor as a deity of sorts, much to Chen's chagrin, and the Vermillion seemed indifferent to their cousins.

But the reintroduction of Great Devourer DNA, along with the Anacondrai Serpent's essence, Harumi and Clouse managed to create an incantation that would make Pythor very happy, when the time came.

At the base of the half-built temple, Garmadon held up an arm to get the attention of his forces. "Enough chatter, everyone. The time has come to finally take action." Heads nodded in agreement. Restlessness had overcome the bulk of their forces, and they desired blood. Stepping forward, the Dark Lord pointed to his generals in the SoG.

"Tomorrow morning, Ultra Violet and Killow will personally lead an expedition for a small bulk of our forces. Their targets will soon be known to them and them alone. Mr. E, you have a different job." After he beckoned the rest of the army to go back to their own personal discussions, the quiet general stepped forward and bowed, awaiting instructions. "Thanks to our spies, we now know that Kai has successfully found a small number of new Elemental Masters in an attempt to recruit him. I want you to take your three best men, and..." After describing the plan to Mr. E, the black-clad figure pointed to his three best bikers: Mohawk, Chopper Maroon, and Luke Cunnigham, and they departed the camp on their bikes.

* * *

Borg Tower's underground hangar became home to a new plethora of vehicles and mechs. Since the second destruction of the _Destiny's Bounty, _Pixal, Zane, and Nya focused a portion of their time away from training to build more designs, not just for the immediate team, but for their new students as well. These additions included, but not limited to:

A new Ice Titan Mech and a new Bike (with the reconstructed Falcon attached) for Zane, an all-terrain "jungle" raider and a Ninja-Nightcrawler for Lloyd, a small red star-shaped airboard speeder and a mini-sub and a desert-raider for Kai, a black Rotojet and a desert-bike and a slick deepstone-style bike for Cole, and an entirely rebuilt and improved Ultra Sonic Raider. Smaller vehicles of similar designs were made for the students. But they all would pale in comparison to what Pixal was secretly working on, according to her. Still, Lloyd found himself almost lost in the maze of newly built vehicles.

"Do we require a guide, Sensei Lloyd?" Mystake chuckled to herself as she followed the Green Ninja. He was not so amused. "If you want, feel free to go back up. I know the way." Sure enough, he turned past another corner of vehicles and saw his desired vehicle: The Ultra Sonic Raider. Specifically, it's modified jet, which had both air and water travel capabilities.

Working with Mystake had been... _trying..._ but they eventually uncovered the message that was on the very staff passed down to Lloyd. With their knowledge and the help of Misako, they had already realized their desired targets: The Scroll of Airjitzu and the Sword of Sanctuary, both of which were in another realm altogether: the Cloud Kingdom. They were also able to theorize the tomb was underwater, as no previous exploits on land found anything. Further answers would be found in the Cloud Kingdom.

"Are you sure you are ready for what we will find?" Lloyd was slightly taken aback by the sudden hint of sorrow in Mystake; perhaps she wasn't so eager to find the body of an old friend. But his confidence didn't waver as he hopped in the pilot seat and remotely opened the bay doors leading to the newly-built underground tunnels. "I'm positive. Now let's go, we have no time to lose."

As she hopped in the back, Lloyd looked up at the viewport that hung above the hangar bay, where Misako and Dareth stood with their new acquaintance, Clutch Powers. They were waving goodbye, before they too would leave to go on their own journey, leaving Dareth with the others. Lloyd returned the gesture, then pressed on his communicator to open up the building's PA system.

"Attention, everyone. This is Sensei Lloyd. I am now leaving to fulfill the Legacy of my Father, Uncle, and Grandfather. I don't know how long the journey will be, but I expect you all to behave as you would if I were watching over you directly. The Ninja are in charge while I am gone; that includes Dareth." He couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden glee that appeared on the Brown Ninja's face. "Good luck, everybody."

After cutting the transmission, he pressed the ignition, launching the small jet through the lit-up tunnel, and exited into the air, on their way to the eye of the storm.

* * *

The cool air of the icy tundra was an unwelcomed feeling to Kai, even after he put on his red coat. Every time he or anyone else on the team had been here, it was bad news. First, Lloyd released the first of the Serpentine tribes here. Zane's world was turned upside down with soul-crushing news that the father he never new was dead. The then-mysterious Samurai X one-upped the team several times across this biome. The only decent memory he had from this place was from the ninja-ball run, and even then, Lloyd and the Ultimate Dragon were shot out of the sky. _Damn, I miss that Dragon. _This place carried some bad vibes to Kai, but he continued sailing through the cool blizzard, scanning for the nearest settlement.

"Come on, come on!" He knew it was no use yelling at the computer, but he couldn't stand listening to nothing but the harsh wind. The scanner beeped constantly, but the radar showed nothing due to the storm's interference. Until a single red dot appeared to be less than a mile ahead, with the distance between them decreasing at an alarming rate. Making sure that he was seeing things right, Kai set the _Destiny's Shadow _down so that they weren't moving. But the scanner still indicated an incoming object at the same speed. _Whatever it is, it's coming right for me! _

Lighting up his fists in a defensive position, he armed the small ship's automatic cannon and jumped in front, hoping to face whatever was coming head on. "WARNING: APPROACHING OBJECT WILL IMPACT IN 10...9...8" The voice of the computer startled him, to be frank, but he continued to look straight forward, preparing for a fight.

"6...5...4..."

In a quick moment of instinct, he fired a ball of flames forward, right above head level to make sure that nothing would be hit, just in case. He was glad he did.

"3...2...1. Object has passed by." Sure enough, as Kai's fireball passed over, a small white fox ran passed him, and jumped around the ship, continuing its run forward. The red ninja couldn't help but laugh at his urge to fight so quickly. Until a feminine voice interrupted him.

"Red Ninja... Come. We are waiting for you." He turned around to see who it was, but nothing but the blizzard and his ship were in sight. "Who are you? Where are you?"

"Continue North. Hurry, they're coming." Before he could ask who the voice was referring to, he the distinct sound of rumbling engines coming from the direction he came. A sound he recognized all to well. "The Sons of Garmadon?!"

"Yes. The quiet General leads them. You are too tired to take them on. Hurry!" He didn't want to admit it, but the voice was right. He had been traveling all day, and the cold wasn't doing him any good either. As quickly as possible, he jumped onto the ship and headed back into the storm, hoping to evade the bikers. Within minutes, the scanner picked up several small structures in the distance ahead; a village. And not too soon, as Kai turned to see the black-clad biker Mr. E approach him on the left with a sword in hand. On the right were three other human bikers, also with weapons in hand. The sight of them triggered flashbacks Kai rather wished he could have forgotten, sending him in a rage.

"Fuck off!" Maintaining his course, he fired the cannon at the biker with a mohawk, who managed to jump onto the ship's side right before the missile left his bike in the storm. He turned to fire a round at the silent General, but was unprepared for an incoming black shuriken. The small metal-star went into his left arm, causing him to let out a small scream of pain.

Kai looked from his wound to see that Mr. E was now standing from the seat of his bike, and in an amazingly precise series of moves, he jumped off with a flip and landed on the ship in front of him. His bike slowed down and eventually stopped behind them in the storm, still fully intact. "GET. OFF!" Kai quickly spun towards the general, but the rapid reflexes of his opponent allowed him to swiftly pass by, towards the controls. He stopped spinning to see both Mr. E and the biker who jumped on now approaching the ship's computer.

"Oh no, you don't!" He fired another ball of fire towards them, as if he hadn't learned anything.

Mr. E took out his second sword, and as if he also had mastered Fire, he used his blade to redirect the flame towards the computer, causing all three on board to briefly halt, until the ship began to shake and move downwards. "Well... shit." In a matter of seconds, the _Destiny's Shadow _crashed into the surface and skid across the ice, splitting apart in the process.

Shaking at this point, Kai picked himself up in the wreckage, seeing pieces scattered across the snow. Quickly scanning his surroundings, he now saw a small arrangement of igloos behind him, and Mr. E with the mohawked biker in front. The other two, still on their bikes, approached from behind them as well. They departed from their vehicles and lined up along their two companions, giving Mr. E the chance to raise his right sword, signaling them to attack. "This is for my bike, you scum!" Taking out his large knife, Mohawk ran forward yelling.

But Kai was no longer in the mood. With a quick spin, he knocked Mohawk off his feet and caught his knife in the air, giving him the opportunity to throw it at the others. The second and third biker dodged his throw, raising their own blades to attack as well. The red ninja managed to kick the second to the ground, but the third cut his already wounded arm. "AUGH! You... sunova…" He was getting dizzy. Falling onto his knees, his surroundings started to spin, and he could see the first two bikers pick themselves up and move to the side, as well as the third.

Mr. E walked forward and took out the red Oni Mast of Vengeance. "N...no..." Against Kai's weak protest, he put on the mask, allowing an additional two arms with swords to grow as stepped in front of his defeated foe. "Please... who are you?" No sense of emotion or surprise overtook the four-armed general, but after a few seconds, he rais both of his right arms with swords and looked down at Kai.

"Eb ot dneterp lla uoy gnihtyreve." The distorted noise confused Kai. "Wh-"

"LOOK OUT!" Mohawk raised his arm as a green smoke hit him in the face. "AGH!" The other three all reacted in defense positions, raising their weapons in the direction of the village. "Who is there?"

No response. Until another green ball of smoke aimed for Mr. E, who easily deflected it. "Over there!" One biker pointed at a dark figure behind one hut. "No, there!"

"Wait, there's another! There's several!" Kai couldn't turn to see, but he fortunately didn't have to. Within seconds, several figures jumped into his line of view to attack. One punched the nearest biker with a large metal glove, sending him flying back. Another ran towards Mohawk, who was getting himself up, and _vanished_. After Mohawk was able to see again, the figure reappeared right before him, socking him in the jaw. "Greetings!"

A white line of light to fast to see circled around Mr. E and the remaining biker. "What's going on?" The lights stopped moving, revealing a man with a white coat and red sunglasses with slicked back brown hair. "Well, hello. Made ya look!" Before they could realize they'd been distracted, a small man behind them played a loud note on his guitar, and a goateed man next to him put his fingers on his temples, causing the remaining assailants to both to cover their ears and heads in pain. As they did, the hooded figure walked up to them, and tapped them on the shoulders.

"Hey. Beat it!" She quickly punched off the Mask of Vengeance, but Mr. E still caught it in his hurt state. But that wasn't what surprised Kai. It was her voice that Kai heard earlier!

In a dazed confusion, the two ran back towards their bikes, quickly followed by Mohawk and the fourth. Kai's rescuers turned to him to see he was bleeding along his arm, and was just about to faint. "Quickly, guys, let's get him inside! Jacob, heat up some more stew! Kai, if you can hear me-" The girl removed her orange hood to reveal a stunningly beautiful face with cherry-red hair. "It appears you've done it: You have found the Elemental Masters."

* * *

**Alright, alright, another done. I'll try to update as soon as I can. **

**If you didn't notice, every single vehicle I listed was from the show at some point. **

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	5. What Was Left Behind

**Hey guys. You know the drill. I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: What Was Left Behind**

Kai jolted awake, sitting straight up with his hands clutched into fists. Clearly, he startled those that surrounded him. "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Ninja. you're safe." The very calm voice belonged to a gray-and white haired man with a goatee, wearing gray robes. Despite his hair color, he seemed fairly young. Kai eyed him for a moment before scanning his surroundings:

They appeared to be within one of the larger igloos that he was attacked near. Besides the gray-and white haired man, there was a short man with an afro, black glasses, and a guitar, who handed Kai a small bowl of stew. Another, much broader man, had a black beard and was wearing black-and-silver metal armor. The third man had no face, but his invisible figure wore sunglasses, a red suit and a hat. Next to him was a woman with green hair and eyes. Near the entrance was a man with slicked back hair, wearing a white-and-red karate uniform and red sunglasses. Finally, in the center, facing Kai directly, was the woman in an orange hooded-suit, which lightly resembled a Ninja outfit.

"Welcome, Kai Smith, Master of Fire." She extended her arm to help him up. He gladly took it, allowing himself a moment to look at all who surrounded him. "Thanks. For the hand, the soup, and the rescue. But _who _are you?"

An abrupt chuckle circled from them, and the maroon-haired woman gave a light smile before answering. "I told you. We're your mission. We're the remaining Elemental Masters. This is Neuro, the Master of the Mind. Next to him is Jacob, the Master of Sound. Then there is Karlof, the Master of Metal. Paleman, the Master of Light. Our _toxic _friend here is Tox, Master of Poison. The sentry is Griffin, Master of Speed. And I am Skylor, Master of Amber."

Kai couldn't believe it. All of the remaining living Elemental Masters. "I can't-wait, how did you know I was looking for you?" Skylor smiled towards Neuro. "The Master of Mind has been working tirelessly to find you across the land. I was already tracking him when he discovered your intentions. It appears you and I had the same idea: gather the Elemental Masters to face whatever threat comes next."

This seemed too good to be true. "So then, you know about..." He didn't need to finish his sentence before they all hung there heads. They had indeed heard about Jay's sacrifice. Griffin walked forward to Kai. "The Master of Lighting gave his life to stop the Dark Army. In his death, the Element of Lightning is now absent from the balance, along with the Elements of Wind and Time, as no heirs to the elements were born or chosen. After Skylor explained to us what had happened, we knew we had to stay together." Kai nodded at the logic. "I already found the other Masters: Nature, Gravity, Smoke, Form, and Shadow. They'll join us when necessary. Until then I have allowed them to continue with their lives."

Skylor grimaced at the news. "That may not be a good idea. The run in with those bikers was not our first. Somehow, they've been finding and attacking us. If they found you, they may have found them too."

Jacob moved his head towards Skylor's direction to face her, but not entirely. That's when Kai realized the short man was blind. "If that is true, Skylor, then we don't have a moment to lose; we must go to them!"

"That's a good idea, but my ride was damaged in the crash!" The Master of Fire expected several other worried faces, but was met with satisfied looks. "What?"

"Karlof here is a brilliant engineer. Using the bikes we used to get ourselves here, he fixed up your ship. Its outside." Such a feat would have taken a normal man days. Even an elemental master couldn't have done it so quickly, unless he had help from a certain master of Speed. "Then let's get out of this storm and contact the remaining Masters!"

* * *

Only a few miles past the storm, at the mountain range below the Blind Man's Eye, Lloyd and Mystake approached the windy cycle in the Ultra Jet. "You're sure this is the only way to the Cloud Kingdom?" If the old Oni was annoyed with Lloyd's pestering, she didn't show it.

"Yes, Lloyd. Funnily enough, this is technically the easiest way to travel to another realm, unless you have a dragon with you."

"Well, we're fresh out of dragons, I'm afraid. The Ultra Dragon left us after the defeat of the Overlord." Mystake nodded, knowing full well that they likely went back home. But that wasn't important enough for Lloyd to know right now. "There it is."

The old woman pointed up at the center of the swirling cloud, which opened up into a circle of light. It was a small portal to the Cloud Kingdom. "OK, I'm taking us in at full speed. Brace yourself." True to his word, Lloyd activated the jet's secondary engines, sending them forward at ramming speed towards the portal. The winds barely had any effect on their course as they got closer.

But the two incoming missiles had an affect.

"LOOK OUT!" The approaching missiles caused Lloyd to move the jet from it's course before they entered the portal. "DAMMIT! Who fired?" They both looked out of the side view to see their attackers. "Oh, you've _got _to be kidding me!" On their left came three Nindroid carriers and one Rattlecopter. Through the open channel, a particularly sly voice came through the Jet's mic.

"My, my Lloyd, is that you?" Lloyd let out a light growl. "PYTHOR."

In the Rattlecopter, Pythor stood behind the two serpentine Pilots beside Cryptor. "Yes, yes, I'm back. How are you? We haven't had the chance to really speak since we captured you. In fact, the last time I saw you was when that insufferable Ninja died. _Jay, _wasn't it?"

Lloyd didn't respond. He was gripping onto the jets controls too tightly, floating still in the air across his attackers.

Pythor took the silence as an opportunity to keep talking. "A tragedy, really. He didn't have to die. But others did. Like _his parents. _I looked forward to telling him about the rush I got from it myself, but alas, you'll have to do."

"We will stop you once and for all, Pythor."

"But you're always too late, Lloyd. You were to late at the Junkyard, and you were too late at Ninjago City."

"I seem to recall the Overlord was defeated." The silence Pythor emitted told Lloyd he had hit a sore spot himself. He looked back to Mystake, who could tell that the young Sensei was ready to snap. "Lloyd, we have to go _now_." Pythor heard her.

"OH! Lloyd, you brought a guest. How unfortunate for you. Now you'll both have to die." He shut off the radio and nodded to Cryptor, who relayed orders to the three carriers. Within seconds, all four crafts fired missiles at the jet. Lloyd took evasive maneuvers to avoid getting hit, starting with speeding once more towards the portal. "Almost there!"

Pythor saw it too. "STOP THEM!" The four crafts followed them up, but they were too late. The Ultra Jet made it through the portal.

And so did they.

* * *

"Very good, Brad. Gene, you've got the speed, but you need to work on your defensive positions.' Zane's methods of instruction were by far the most complicated for the new class of students. But compared to Dareth's straightforward basics, everyone's method was a little complicated.

In the training hall of Borg Tower, all 100 students were going through their new maneuvers taught by Zane, from 1 to 5. But that wasn't what made it complicated; they had to practice as they ran around the incoming projectiles and dummies. Little did they realize what they were really learning. "Brad, you are up!" From the observation platform, Cyrus Borg watched with Pixal and Dareth as Brad mad his way through the course.

He ran to an incoming drone with its sword aimed at his head. He jumped up and extended his right leg, shouting it's form number. "One!" Knocking the drone down, he dodged several incoming blunt arrows from the wall by landing on his hands and kicking the last arrow from the side, away from him. "Two!" Flipping back on his feet, he managed to quickly slide under the next two drones as the swung their weapons at him, allowing him to knock them off-balance with his forearms and kick them mid-air. "Three!"

Cyrus was astounded at the boy's skills. "Impressive!" Pixal nodded in agreement. "Yes, Brad has been our most eager learner. They have al come so far these past months, and they have had great teachers." She looked to Dareth with a smile, who slightly blushed at the compliment before adding in his own opinion. "Yeah, they're great students. Sensei Wu would have been proud." Despite the hint of sadness that lingered with the comment, they agreed with the sentiment and watched Bradley continue his exercise.

He was now jumping off of the floor blocks that were rising from the ground-up, making his way down with quick maneuvers "Four!" After he jumped down to the surface, he stopped, confused at his last obstacle.

Zane stood in front of him in a fighting stance. "Sir?"

"Come on, Brad. You still have to complete form five." He extended his hand and made the "come at me" motion with his it. Shrugging and (hesitantly) returning to running position, the young boy ran forward, stopping to block two punches from the right, then left. The, as Zane kicked up, Brad stepped in his incoming leg and jumped off, allowing him to make a roundhouse kick...

Right before he summoned a silver tornado of Spinjitzu.

"WHOA!" "Did you see that!" "Brad did Spinjitzu!" The students all clamored at their friend's achievement, which lasted only a few seconds before he spiraled out of control, knocking right into Zane. "OOF!"

Cyrus Borg was holding his hands to the back of his head in awe. He looked to Pixal and Dareth, who simply grinned; they knew exactly what was happening. "Wait... you were expecting this? But if you were teaching it, then-" Before he could finish, both of them spun to answer his coming question. They could also do Spinjitzu: Pixal's was also silver, and Dareth's was a dark brown, similar to Cole's but without any orange or black mixed in. "Incredible."

On the training floor, Zane helped Brad up. "Well done, Brad. You have completed basic training." He looked to the rest of his students. "You all saw; once you all achieve a tornado, then we move on to more advanced work. Now, who is next?"

Every single student raised their hands.

* * *

Clouse and Harumi were consulting with Lord Garmadon at the base of the almost completely-constructed temple. "My Lord, please forgive my ignorance... but this new teple seems to be an exact replica of-"

"The temple of Resurrection. But no, Quiet One. Not an _exact_ replica. Clouse?" His red eyes looked to his former rival, who turned his head and nodded at two incoming figures. Garmadon and Harumi looked to see who he was looking at.

Walking through the camp was a cyborg with a mustache, a red suit, and a fancy hat. It was clear a number of his new appendages were from Nindroid scraps. Next to him a man with a bandana over a goggled eye, with a red straw hat and green-orange body armor. Behind the two of them was an approaching red ship on Auto Pilot, carrying several crates in its undercarriage. As they walked forward, they both got on their knees and bowed in respect, allowing Clouse to make introductions.

"My lord, these are two of our faction's most valued employees. The Mechanic, who helped construct every single Anacondrai mech and jet in our fleet. And Ronin, who has been most useful in acquiring _unique _artifacts for Chen's collection such as Zane's Pink Gi and the Peg Leg of Captain Soto. Men, have you completed your task?"

Ronin stepped forward. "Yeah, we went to every location and collected what you asked for." He let out a whistle, summoning his ship down behind them. surrounding warriors had to rush to avoid being crushed.

"The R.E.X. here has been very handy in getting there and carrying what we couldn't." Pressing a button on his wrist, the crates were released, allowing the Mechanic to open them up. At this point, everyone nearby in the camp was watching, not just Clouse, Garmadon, and Harumi. The Mechanic took out each object and handed them to the nearest foot soldiers to carry into their new temple. "Let's see... from the Temple of Light on the Dark Island, we have texts carved from the four pillars. From the Fire Temple, we have some writings from the First Spinjitzu Master himself. And from the Temple of Airjitzu, he portrait of the disgraced Sensei Yang. From the Temple of Tiger Widow Island, a vial of Tiger Widow Venom." Both he and Ronin shuddered at the memory of retrieving that before handing it to a Nindroid.

"OK, these last two were especially difficult to retrieve without detection, but hey, dem's the breaks. From the Temple of Fortitude, two Stone Armor plaque's. And from the _authentic_ Temple of Resurrection…" Ronin opened up the final crate to reveal a ceremonial back stone table. "...this. But I can't get it out. Took us both to barely get it to the R.E.X." Killow walked forward from the crowd with the mask of Deception, allowing him to telekinetically raise the table into the air. Ronin gave an impressed look to the hulking figure before returning his attention to the Dark Lord. "So, uh, anyway... that's what was left behind."

Killow and all of the others who carried the retrieved artifacts looked to their Master for instruction.

Garmadon motioned them to take their new artifacts within the temple, they did so, leaving the sight of everyone else in the crowd and outside. As they did, Harumi tilted her head, wondering what the full endgame was. But she still had complete faith that the Dark Lord knew what he was doing.

"You have done well, Ronin and The Mechanic. Help yourselves to the feast. Then I wish to discuss your _next assignment _after your meal."

* * *

**I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter, I have three tests this week. But I will update as soon as I can! PLEASE REVIEW**


	6. What Must Be Found

**I'm back! Like I said, I will be updating whenever possible. I won't let myself have an update be as late as two weeks, so don't worry! At this point, it's looking like one update a week or so. Let's do this.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: What Must Be Found**

A blinding white light. That is all that Lloyd saw after he entered the portal. It was the last thing he remembered seeing before it went from all white to all black.

"Ugh... What happened?" His vision blurred back to reality at a phenomenal sight around him:

He lay on a small bed of fluff at the foot of a gateway. Past the gates, he saw flying boats floated through the air past hundreds of small structures, all interconnected through bridges made of stone and supported by _clouds. _The white lights of the clouds illuminated the entire realm it seemed.

"Heh, now you see why it is the _cloud kingdom, _ey young Sensei Garmadon?" He spun around to see Mystake already on her feet, and behind her was a fully functional Ultra-Jet, laying next to the crafts their pursuers had used. But there was no sign of them.

"What happened? The last thing I remember is going through the portal. Why didn't we crash?"

"This realm holds a strange power, Lloyd. One that allowed us _all _to be here." He twisted his face in confusion at her words. "What strange power?"

"I believe _we _can answer that." The sound of footsteps from the gateway caused them both to turn their attention towards the gateway. As if out of nowhere, a man with neatly cut gray hair in a white tunic approached them. Behind him was a similarly dressed younger man with a ginger bowl-cut, and several brown-clad monks. At the end of their crowd was a large hairy beast with brown fur and the face of a dog lurched forward, holding Pythor and Cryptor in each hand.

"Sensei Lloyd, my name is Fenwick, Master Writer of the Cloud Kingdom Realm. This is my second, Nobu." The young ginger nodded with a smile. "Your arrival was always planned, and we are pleased that the time has come. But we did not plan on you having any _unwanted _tag-alongs. Nimbus!" He gestured to the beast, Nimbus, who shook the two in each hand for a moment, causing them to yell in protests.

_PLANNED. Not expected. _"What is this place exactly? Mystake told me that you would have all of the answers." Fenwick chuckled to himself as a larger boat stopped at their side. "Perhaps I could answer while we make haste?" Eager to get his answers, Lloyd quickly looked back-and-forth between Mystake and Fenwick before nodding.

He stepped on board with Mystake, then Fenwick followed on with Nobu. The young Writer looked to the robed monks and Nimbus. "Take the Snake and Nindroid back to the confines with the others until we have decided what to do with them." They nodded, leading Nimbus back the way they came.

"Alright, Fenwick. Time to tell me what I want to know."

* * *

With the _Destiny's Shadow _fully fixed, it carried Kai and his newfound allies out of the storm. "Ok, Kai, who is the closest Elemental Master you found? Those bikers will likely attck them next!" His mind racing a mile a minute, he sruggled to think.

"Uh... Shade! The Master of Shadow. He's in the fisherman's village off of the coast, by Styx!" Skylor nodded and put the coordinates in the ship's controls. "And you said there were three who were in some sort of traveling circus?"

"Yeah, Ash, Camille, and Gravis. Masters of Smoke, Form, and Gravity. They said they were traveling through the string of mountain villages, eventually stopping at Jamanakai. The Master of Nature Bolobo is in isolation near the southern tip of Hiroshi's Labyrinth." The others nodded in understanding.

"They're pretty far apart, we cannot afford to waste a moment!"

* * *

Within a day, every student had mastered the art of basic Spinjitzu. Zane, Pixal, Nya, Cole, and Dareth couldn't be prouder. After the last student, a young lad who wanted to look different in his purple robes named Nelson, had spun successfully, their mentors had them crowd in the center for Cole to give a short speech. "Well done, everybody. You have just taken your first steps into a larger world. I can promise you this: It will not get any easier. You know how to spin, but that hardly makes you a Master of the Arts of Spinjitzu."

"Umm, _arts,_ mentor Cole?"

"That is right Nelson. As it turns out, there are three Arts: Spinjitzu, which you have only just begun to understand. Then there is Airjitzu, which grants a user the ability of flight, and lastly, the most dangerous and restricted: Forbidden Spinjitzu, which is so dangerous not even the First Spinjitzu Master himself dared to share its secrets."

A series of _oooohhhh'_s came from the crowd, prompting Gene to speak up. "Can you show us one of them?"

Cole blushed slightly, realizing his mistake. "Uh, erm… well, I don't know either of them _yet..._ Sensei Lloyd and Misako are journeying to find their scrolls as we speak."

"So you are not a Master either." The students giggled at Gene's bluntness.

"Listen here you little-" Dareth stepped forward to diffuse the situation. "I think What Cole is trying to say is that this is an opportunity for us all to learn, even though he and the rest of your mentors have a considerable advance of knowledge ahead of you, and you would be wise to respect that fact. Now, I think that's enough training for one day. Go wash yourselves and prepare for dinner."

At his word, the students clamored out of the large training room. Cole and the others turned to Dareth, surprised at the wisdom in his statement.

"What? Its not like you were any different at first: eager to learn, but ignorant of the lessons involved. Hell, I know I was that way." Zane smiled in satisfaction. "It seems we are all still growing, even in the absence of..." His voice trailed off, unable to say their names. The room went silent.

"I miss them. I miss _him_." Cole turned to his girlfriend, a look of understanding in his eyes. "I do too. We did wrong by him, so much wrong., but now... we have a chance to honor his legacy." Nya smiled as a tear trailed down her face, right before they all jumped as the jumbo screen on the wall lit up without any warning, with the distressed face of Cyrus Borg on it.

"_PLEASE WARN ME BEFORE YOU SEND 100 HYPER CHILDREN UP HERE WHILE I AM WORKING!" _

Pixal giggled at her "father's" distress. "Apologies, Mr. Borg. We are on our way to help diffuse the situation."

* * *

Deep in the unexplored regions of the Desert of Doom, the Ultra Sonic Raider (land-half) treaded through mountains of sand, scanners beeping wildly. "I'm telling you, Misako, it's somewhere here?"

"How can you be sure, Clutch?" The scruffy man turned his head to face her, obvious annoyance in his eyes. At this point, she was messing with him, as he had already explained himself several times before. But a part of her began to suspect he was either wrong... or lying for the credit of the supposed find.

"*Sigh* As I said, when I found the Constrictai Fang Blade in the deserted Serpentine temple in the Sea of Sand, there was a tablet that spoke of the lost pyramids of the first Serpentine, the Vipers: the direct descendants of the Five Serpentine Tribes as we know them. The pyramids were located in this desert millennia ago, when it was a lush land. And at the end, there was mention of an "ancient scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu," but the tablet was shattered before I could read anymore due to the building crashing down upon me."

Misako had to take his word for it. She didn't ever truly think he was lying, but what if he was wrong? Lloyd and the others needed to find the scrolls before anyone else could, for Ninjago's safety. A sudden _beep beep beep _brought her back to reality.

"Somethings on the scanner, Clutch- a massive structure is up ahead!" They looked up to an incredible sight: Coming up fast stood a massive dark pyramid, its tip pointed like a dagger to the sky. The U.S. Raider stooped at it's base, in front of the large entryway. It did not take even a second for Misako to notice the large carvings of vipers along the entrance's walls.

"Ha ha! We found it! Well done, Clutch. Now let's go, while the sun is still out!" The emerged from the vehicle with their flashlights out, and without hesitation, entered the temple.

Once walking through the large hallway down the dimly-lit staircase, making sure to jump over a webbed booby trap in the process, Clutch looked around at their surroundings. "Huh."

"What is it?"

"Well, although this is clearly the Viper Pyramid, the construction is different from any other structures of Serpentine culture. The Lost City of Ouroboros has a only a few familiar traits, mainly the large snake statues of similar design. Besides this, it is as if they are two separate cultures entirely." She realized he was right.

"When the majority of Vipers died out, the last generation's offspring were scattered throughout the land, gaining their own traits. This is how the five tribes were created. That is why none of them know this Temple. I wouldn't think anyone-"

A light at the end of the lower hall and a gruff voice in the distance cut her off. "Are we sure it is down here?" She didn't recognize the voice, but thankfully, she and Clutch both moved behind the closest pillar before anyone at the end of long hall could see or hear them. Clutch held a finger to his lips and pointed at the source of the light. Peering out, she saw the Skales, Fangtom, Acidicus, SKalidor, and roughly 20 serpentine soldiers walking down the hall in the direction they were heading. At the front of them was a strange man with a metal arm and a red coat looking at some sort of parchment.

Skales sighed in frustration. "Yes, Mechanic. It is just like he said. We'll find it here, set up what we need to, and wait for the others."

"Mechanic" turned around, also out of frustration, pointing at Skales. "Look, I know the plan. Trust me, after a guy like _him _tells you a plan, YOU DON'T FORGET IT. But what if the way is blocked, or if they don't make it here before we're discovered?"

"That is precisely why we must make haste, Mechanic. Look at it this way, once she has _this, _we can leave this forsaken Pyramid." The Mechanic nodded in agreement, or surrender, and turned back. But in the split second that he did, she saw what he was holding.

_OH NO. _She couldn't help what happened next. "The first scroll!"

* * *

**Yeah, so I know not much happened in this chapter, but that's only because the last couple of weeks have kicked my ass, and that will continue for the next two as well. But not to worry, I will still update whenever possible!**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	7. The Sign

**OK, we know the drill!**

**I OWN N.O.T.H.I.N.G.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The** **Sign **

Deep within the New Temple, Garmadon meditated in the center. No torches were lit, no windows were open. The room was pitch black, yet to Garmadon, he had never felt so illuminated with power.

"Mmm, yes. Yes. YES!" His red eyes shot open, and extending his four arms, the surrounding torches illuminated with a purple flame. "QUIET ONE!"

The front door opened immediately with Harumi rushing in, her eyes needing to adjust to see him. "Yes, my lord?" The dark one stood on his feet, and after staring at the ceremonial table in front of him, he turned to face her.

"Ready a Nindroid Gunship. Inform Clouse that he will accompany us." She bowed her head, and befoire walking out, looked back up to him. "What destination shall I inform the pilot?"

He cackled and smiled. "I have had a vision of what is about to come. We head for Ninjago City."

* * *

"Please don't tell me _that's_ him!" The Elemental Masters stared at the fisher's village. At least what is left of them.

Huts were tattered. The remaining civilians ran in terror in every direction. And at the center of it all was Shade facing Mr. E. "Yeah, Skylor, that's him. Come on guys!" Kai jumped out of the _Destiny's Shadow _and rushed into the action. Quickly passing him was Turner in a white light, who gracefully picked up shade before Mr. E's red sword could strike at his head.

"AH! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"A friend!" He carried him back to the bounty, and the rest watched as Kai, Skylor, and Karloff ran at Mr. E. "Hey, four-arms!"

The red Mask of Vengeance turned, staring right at kai. "Ajnin ym ton era ouy!"

"What?" he swing his sword, which was blocked by three others before he spun back. "I don't understand! Karloff!" On the signal, the Master of Metal slammed his fists together and punched the SOG General towards Skylor. But Kai did not expect what happened next.

Skylor mimicked Karloff's moves, and her skin turned metal as well. As Mr. E quickly approached, she punched him to the ground, and ran at him in a white flash, punching her still metal fists into his chest, before picking him up by the feet and spinning him into a circle before hurtling in the air, out of sight.

Kai stood dumbfounded at what just happened. "You- you copy powers?" As she turned back to normal, she sighed with a smile. "Yes, that's what Amber is. Once I touch an elemental, I gain their powers. See?" She opened up her hand to show a small ball of flame.

"Whoa... cool!"

"You're not... mad?"

"Mad? I mean, yeah, I feel tricked, but this is great! A powerful fighter like you would really tip the scale! Skylor, this is incredible!" She blushed for a second out of embarrassment. "Thanks, I've nev- WAIT! We have to get moving! If they knew you were here, then they know about the others!"

Kai didn't respond. He didn't have the chance before she ran to the _Shadow, _now with one more crew member. Karloff ran beside Kai as they approached. "Ey, not to worry, Fire Ninja. She is just always on her toes to be keeping out of trouble."

"Trouble? Then she chose the wrong line of work." Karloff let out a hearty below as they boarded the ship, heading for Jamanakai.

* * *

In skies above the Cloud Kingdom, Nobu took the helm of the boat as Fenwick explained the extensive history of the Realm Crystal and the Scroll of Airjitzu. "So you see, these treasures were the last parted to Ninjago before The First Spinjitzu Master's passing. Them, along with the Sword of Sanctuary."

"And where are they?"

"Oh the Sword is here. The First Spinjitzu Master himself gave it to us for safekeeping. The Scroll, however, is lost to us." Mystake's eyes widened at this news. "What?"

"Yes, I am afraid our powers have somehow... _diminished. _They have been for some time now." Lloyd looked just as confused as when he first arrived. "What Powers?"

Fenwick sighed, and nodded to Nobu, who docked the boat in front of a large Temple in the center of the city. "This way. You see, Sensei Lloyd, it is our duty, much like it is yours, to preserve a balance. Except we don't fight." Once they walked up the stairs and inside the large doorway, Lloyd saw hundred of brown-clad monks writing scriptures. He walked to the closest one, and was shocked at the name he saw on top. _KAI SMITH. _

"We _write."_

"You... you write out our paths?" He turned in shock to see Fenwick and Nobu nod. "We are the Writers of Destiny. It is our job to write out the path of every hero who has an eefect on the balance. But for quite some time, our scriptures have stopped working."

"And... Jay? You made him die? And my uncle? AND MY FATHER?" At this point, every monk stared at him in fear, but Fenwick still remained calm. "No. Garmadon's journey was supposed to be complete. Once he joined your fight again, our hold on his path began to falter. But we still managed to get some things across: He saved you from the Nindroids, after all. But we never wrote this fate for him." He walked to another Monk, staring at his scripture. "And Wu, he was supposed to inspire you to fight the Overlord by fighting him one on one, stalling him. But Jay..."

"Yeah?"

"Jay was never supposed to even be there. His parents were supposed to escape the Junkyard, and he would move them to safety. When he made the decision to sacrifice himself, our powers broke completely." The monk with Kai's scripture spoke up. "Yeah, I'm writing about Kai running back to be with his the others at the tower, but he's off fighting the SoG General with the Elemental Masters!"

"Yeah!" "None are working!" "All we can do is write!"

"Yes, I'm afraid they are correct. We are not fighters." Lloyd's eyes were tearing up at the news that until recently, his path had been written out entirely. "Ok... so where is the Realm Crystal?"

Before answering, Fenwick guided him and Mystake to a back room, leaving Nobu to tend to the Monks. Once the doors closed behind him, he looked back at Lloyd. "Why... in the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, of course."

Lloyd smacked his forehead at his stupidity. "Of course! The clues were all in the writing! We just have to get to the Whirling Ocean!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid you are too late."

"What do you mean?"

*IN THE TOMB, UNDER THE WHIRLING OCEAN*

Ronin burst first into a large open space, landing on his face. He looked up to see a skeleton holding a shiny jewel. "AH!"

"Well done, Ronin, you have found it!" Behind him came Chen, Krunch, Knuckal, and a handful of their minions. Knuckal stared in awe. "Oooh, SHINY! Gimme, gimme gimme!" He ran to grab the Realm Crystal, causing the skeleton's arms to fall off of the body. Ronin couldn't believe the sight.

"Whoa, be careful!" Chen stared at him in confusion. "Erm- you don't want him to drop it, do ya?"

"A fair point. Knuckal, let's go!" The Skulkin general nodded, and raised the crystal up, allowing it to absorb everyone in the room, including the body of the First Spinjitzu Master.

*BACK IN THE CLOUD KINGDOM*

"I mean that _you are too late." _

* * *

In Nimbus's "house," King Pythor lay next to General Cryptor and several Nindroids, all electrocuted by the hairy beast. "Did you hear that?" A slight spark caught the albino Serpentine's attention, then a small portal formed in the room's center. Out stepped Chen, Ronin, the Skulkin Generals, and several cultists and Skulkin warriors.

"Oh, Chen, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!"

"Come on, Pythor. We still have work to do." The cult leader motioned for his men to recharge the Nindroids with their carry-on tazers, reactivating their own weapons systems as well. The oily man extended his arm for Pythor, who gladly took it. "I believe _these _are yours as well." From his back pocket, Chen took out the small Serpentine crown, and Eyezor walked forward with Pythor's Anacondrai staff.

"Now, let's get that Sword!"

* * *

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Mystake sensed something was wrong, and in a flash, grabbed Fenwick by the throat, holding him up a good few inches off the ground. Lloyd stood back surprised, unsheathing his blade towards Fenwick, though the gray-haired man only chuckled at the failed attempts at intimidation.

"I put destiny into my own hands. Our powers are failing. The future is uncertain. But my realm _will _survive what is to come, even if I had to betray them!" With a growl, Mystake threw him to the ground, knocking him unconscious. "We have to get the Sword!"

Lloyd nodded, knocking down the door they just came through with a massive green energy blast. "Where is the Sword of Sanctuary?!"

Nobu turned to face them. "This way!" He pointed to the side door of the temple's main room, and began to run that way. In the heat of the moment, the two followed up a flight of stairs, taking them outside along the top of a wall.

"Hurry, heroes! The Sword is in the Keeper's Tower!" He pointed to a tall tower that stood out among the several smaller buildings that lay atop the clouds on the Temple's south side. As the continued to run along the wall, Lloyd yelled after Nobu.

"Why should we trust you? Your Headwriter seemed comfortable with the act of betrayal!"

"Headwriter Fenwick has lost his faith in you, and in our purpose. He has for some time."

"You knew?"

"I did, though I did not know the extent of his betrayal, and I could not make a move against him until you showed up and he revealed himself to you. Otherwise, I would have. Quickly!" He hailed the closest flying boat, which anchored near the wall slowly as he hopped on, taking the wheel from the driving monk.

"Jump on, this will get us there faster!" They followed his instructions, allowing them to approach the tower far faster then on foot. Until...

"PORT SIDE!" The monk yelled, alerting the other three to notice the approaching missile from the right. But it was too late for Nobu to take evasive actions. He turned the boat up towards the right, allowing the missile to hit the lower deck near the back. "JUMP OFF!"

Lloyd and Mystake ran forward towards the end of the boat, hopping on the nearest cloud. the young Sensei turned to see Nobu quickly following behind, with the Monk right behind him. "Come on, Nobu!" The bowl-haired ginger jumped in the nick of time, grabbing onto the clouds edge. The monk jumped right behind him, extending his arm for Nobu to grab.

Until a red laser hit his chest midair, killing him instantly as his body and the boat fell into the abyss below. "NO!"

Lloyd looked up to see a Nindroid with a rocked launcher and a smoking eye staring at them from across the abyss, in front of the entrance to the Keeper's Tower, pointing right at them "General, there they are!"

From behind the lone Nindroid, emerging from the front entrance of the Tower, approached the Nidroid General, Kruncha and Knuckal, some strangely robed man with slicked black hair and a purple snake headdress, and _Pythor _with the Sword IN HAND, pointing right at Lloyd. "Get them!"

Without any notice, several Nindroids, humans in snake-skull dressing, and Skulkin warriors ran from out the temple towards Lloyd and Mystake from the sides, swords and axes at the ready, guns taking aim. But as they lifted him above the abyss, Nobu let out a loud whistle.

And once again, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Within the streets of Ninjago City, Zane was patrolling in the armored Titanium Tumbler, generously provided by Cyrus Borg. Although inner-city violence was practically dead, the White Ninja refused to neglect his duties to Ninjago and it's citizens. He would even say he enjoyed the relatively quiet time away from training their new students, and the adoring looks from the everyday person as he or she would smile brightly and wave as he passed by.

He was just passing by the preserved reconstruction of the private Palace, which internally caused Zane dismay, as the Emperor, Empress, and Arms-master Hutchins were still presumed to be in the clutches of the Dark Army. Fortunately, the sound of Pixal's voice from the vehicle's radio brought him back to reality before he dwelled too long in-thought.

"Control to Zane, please respond!" Zane noted the slight distress in her tone.

"This is Zane. Pixal, what is wrong?"

"Cyrus Borg's newly built threat-analysis system has detected an anomaly!"

Zane knew that could only mean one thing. "A realm breach?"

"Quite possibly, but we are not sure! The threat is not certain, and should not be a cause for alarm until verified, but go to the given coordinates and help evacuate the area! "The computer _blipped _as a set of coordinates appeared on the screen. It was right by the center of the city, by the Tower. "I am on my way!"

He shifted into high gear as the Tumbler raced down the street, alarms sounded to ensure that blocking vehicles will move. After passing a few blocks, he noticed several police cars followed his lead, alarms also blaring. Zane noticed the Police Commissioner in the car next to him; a man Zane admired, though he did not agree with his "full-force" tactics. But now was not the time to worry about that.

Pulling into the City Center, Zane jumped out, seeing Cole, Nya, and Dareth were already there, each holding weapons in preparation for anything. They had helped evacuate any bystanders in the area. The Black ninja smiled at the Nindroid approaching. "Zane! I see you brought friends."

The Commissioner scoffed slightly at the comment as he got out of the car. "My men will assist in any way we can, Cole. TOMMY! SIMON! JIMMY! Give your team their assignments, and fan out for anything!" The three cops did as they were ordered, and all 30 some-odd police officers spread out.

Nya attached her two swords to her armor's back, nodding at the incoming Commissioner. "You sure are effective, Sir."

"My thanks, Samurai X. I do try to model my own force's efficiency after yours. After all, if not for the efforts made by you and your team, none of us would be here." Cole lowered his hammer, and Dareth did the same with his two long knives. Zane, who had watched silently, only raised one eyebrow at the comment. Nya only smiled at the flattery before making a correction.

"That is very kind of you to say sir, but I am actually no longer Samurai X- I'm training to become the next Elemental Master of Water."

"NYA! You are going to tell _him_ the big news before your own brother?! No offense." Cole's reaction was sound. Indeed, Mystake had revealed the truth of Nya's heritage and her own inner powers while Kai was away, but Nya hated the secrecy of it.

"Yes, I might as well. He'll find out soon enough. I am only wearing the armor because I have not mastered the element yet. Once I do, the mantle of Samurai X will be passed on to another."

The grey mustache of the Commissioner lifted with his smile. "Well, I feel sorry for whoever has to fill your-"

"SIR! UP THERE!" The all turned to Officer Simon, who pointed at the sky above them. In the clear blue, Zane spotted exactly what the young Officer spotted: several hundred feet in the air, a series of purple sparking electricity occurred without any visible cause.

Dareth raised his knives. "What is it?"

"Unclear, but be ready!" On Zane's word, every officer raised their pistols in the air in preparation for whatever was to come.

"I sense..." Zane closed his eyes in an attempt to preemptively see what was to come. "I sense..." But his sixth sense was no help. It did not foresee what occurred next:

After the sparking stopped, a small purple circle appeared, with it's white rim expanding into the size of a person. "Oh no..."

_A PORTAL._

* * *

Only half a mile away, hundreds of feet above ground, a single Gunship floated above a cloud, away from the sight of the Ninja and Police below. Clouse, Harumi, and Lord Garmadon peered from the ships door at the same sight, seeing the portal expanding. Both practitioners of the Dark Arts were very confused by what was happening but, the Dark Lord smiled at the sight.

* * *

"GET READY!" Zane took out his new bow, aimed high. Everyone had crouched down, ready for anything to emerge. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the portal _blinked _into nothingness. They all lowered their weapons in confusion.

"Ummm, what was that?"

* * *

Clouse sputtered. Harumi looked to the dark Lord for an answer. "My Lord, what was that?"

"That, Quiet One, was what we have been waiting for for the last six months. That was _the sign_. Prepare yourselves for what will soon come."

* * *

**Okay! Another one done. I jope you are still reading. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW if you have any comments or questions, and I will update as soon as I can!**

**R&R!**


	8. Next Phase

**Next Chapter, here we go. REVIEW if you know what that portal at the end of the last chapter was about, with SPOILER ALERT written at the top for anyone who looks but doesn't know.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Next Phase**

The scaled hands of the approaching Fangpyre foot soldier latched tightly around Misako's arms as he forced her forward towards his superiors. Behind them, a Venomari had the same hold on Clutch.

"Let us go!"

Skales slithered forward, past the surprised Mechanic until he was inches away from her face. "Oh, I think not, old woman." We wouldn't want you to miss the show!" The small army of Serpentine laughed behind him, making her nervous. "What do you hope to accomplish here? You already have the Scrolls of Forbidden Spinjitzu."

"Ah, but Misako, what use are scrolls like these to just us, non-elementals who cannot perform Spinjitzu? To strengthen our allegiances, we mean... a _different _approach." He turned to Skalidor. "When will the other's arrive?"

"Soon, Skales. The rest of our encampment is on their way, and the other two parties will be here shortly. Our spy-in-action reports that their party will be here as soon as possible, and our spy in the Tower says the remaining Ninja are gathered in the city center." _Spy in the Tower?_

"Just as Lord Garmadon predicted. Good. Then let's get this place spruced up!" With the flick of his wrist, Skales ordered all of the remaining men to light up the dead Pyramid's chamber, tying up Clutch and Misako in the process.

* * *

"...so that is why we need to stay together." Kai was getting tired of explaining the situation. Since rescuing Shade, the group of Elemental Masters rescued Gravis, Ash, and Chamille from a similar attack, and had just saved Bolobo from Mr. E. "NOW, can we please go to Ninjago City? It is clear to me that as long as we are together and safe, they cannot touch us." Despite small protests, they all murmured in surrendering agreement. He looked with a relieved grin towards Skylor, who smiled back.

"Good. We'll leave first thing in the morning. I'll take first shift as lookout."

* * *

"Pixal, what just happened?" Zane pressed into his earpiece to get an answer. Around him, Cole, Nya, Dareth, and all of the City's finest stared in the sky confused.

"Unclear, Zane. The system detected an anomaly, and it just... stopped. Right as another detection popped up!"

"What is it, and where?"

"It appears the new Borg-Satellite has picked up a massive caravan of enemy vehicles moving towards the outskirts of the Desert of Doom." Nya's eyes widened. "That's where Clutch said the forbidden Scrolls were!" Without hesitation, the four Ninja rushed back into the Tumbler and the newly built Ninja DB X. "Commissioner, have your men hold down the fort in the event another anomaly occurs."

"Where are you Ninja going?"

"To the Desert of Doom! We cannot allow the Forbidden Scrolls to fall into enemy hands!" Cole closed the armored truck's back door, allowing Nya to race the vehicle forward with Zane following in tow. The Police watched as the disappeared around the corner. "Good luck, Ninja."

* * *

Since its creation, the Cloud Kingdom had been a realm of absolute peace. Weaving the words of destiny, the monks would write what was necessary to keep the balance. Never had a sword been unsheathed, never before had blood been spilled.

That all changed today.

Once Nobu whistled, Nimbus had charged from the main Temple, throwing every Nindroid and Skulkin that got in the way into the abyss. But he wouldn't hold them for long; he was already being overrun by enemies as the faction leaders headed towards the ships. Using the distraction the giant beast made for them, Nobu pointed towards Pythor and the strangely robed man. "Come on! We must get the Sword from them!"

Lloyd nodded. "Come on, Mystake!"

"Wait." The Green Sensei and the young Monk turned to face her, confusion on both of their faces. She stood up fully, and dropped her staff. Realizing what was about to happen, Nobu grabbed Lloyds arm to pull him back. Unfortunately for everyone else running towards them, they didn't know.

Five Nindroids and three Skulkin jumped towards the old woman as she tightened her fists. Within half a second, her skin blackened, her hat turned into two black horns, her clothing disintegrated into a skeleton-like texture around her black skin, and her eyes turned purple. She extended her arms to grab the closest Nindroid, then threw him in the abyss, causing the other seven to run.

Lloyd's eyes widened at the sight: She looked eerily like his father, before he had four arms. "M-Mystake."

Her purple eyes stared directly into his. He felt a shiver down his spine. But it wasn't as creepy as her deepened voice. "Yes, Lloyd. This is my true Oni state. Now get that Sword." _JUST LIKE THAT? _She ran ahead, leaving him stunned as he watched her spin in a purple tornado. He looked back at Nobu for support, but he only shrugged with a simple response.

"Well, Sensei Lloyd, it seems you now have the necessary leverage in the fight."

* * *

"Come on come on **come on!**" Pythor slithered as fast as he could, gripping tightly onto the sword. Leading the way were the only two Skulkin warriors who didn't stay behind to fight. Close behind him were Chen who was now holding onto the Realm Crystal as well as his staff, Kruncha, Ronin, Knuckal, Cryptor, and the Anacondrai Cultists that joined them on the quest.

"*Huff* Why don't we just use the Realm Crystal?" Chen rolled his eyes at the mercenary's ignorance. "Because, Ronin..." He extended his hand forward, as if giving a signal. At the very spot where the two leading Skulkin warriors stepped, Lloyd dropped from above, knocking them both to the ground. "PYTHOR! HAND ME THAT SWORD, NOW."

"Oh, my dear Lloyd, I don't think so. Chen?" The old man extended the Realm Crystal towards the Green ninja, shooting a small beam over his head, creating a small portal. Lloyd jumped to the side to avoid the cloaked figure who dropped from the portal, a sword aimed right at him.

Lloyd had no idea what just happened. He was dodging jabs from a sword, swung from a stranger with black hair and white eyes. The enemy looked up at the oily man who summoned him. In a raspy voice, he yelled "I could use a little help here!"

"Ronin." The mercenary with the red-straw hat sighed, taking out a small knives as he walked forward. "Sorry, kid, but a jobs a job." And he threw the knife.

Right into Lloyds leg. "AAAUGH!" He was incapacitated, grabbing onto his leg as he lashed in pain. The black cloaked stranger grabbed him by the kneck, giving Lloyd a tingling sensation for a second before he was thrown back to the ground, facing Chen and the others. He walked past the Ronin, and grabbed onto the crystal within Chen's staff. "Garmadon wants him alive. Now send me back, I still have work to do."

Chen nodded, creating a portal. before stepping through, the stranger looked at Lloyd. "I'll see you again." After stepping through, both he and the portal disappeared, leaving Lloyd writhing in pain on the cloudy surface, and his enemies staring right at him. Pythor chuckled as he stood over him.

"Well, you heard it here first, Lloyd. Your dear old daddy wants you alive! Looks like we'll all be seeing each other real soon, now let's-" The demonic screams of Mystake echoed across the realm as she ran towards them at full speed. "OH SHIT, CHEN!"

"ON IT!" In the blink of an eye, a portal formed underneath him, causing him, Cryptor, Kruncha, and Knuckal to disappear immediately. The cultists jumped in right after, leaving Pythor and Ronin.

"VIP's first, your highness."

"Damn right, Ronin." Sword in hand, the Serpentine King jumped through, leaving Ronin staring at the incoming Oni and the wounded Lloyd. "They're right, Kid. We'll see each other again. But I hear Ninja never quit." With a smirk, he cannon-balled in, causing it to _wink _out of existence, with only a parchment left behind as evidence they were there.

"Lloyd!" Calming down as she got closer, as there was no one left to fight, Mystake reverted back into her human form. She and Nobu ran to help him up, defeated looks on their faces.

"They got away with the Sword." Nobu nodded. "I know, but- what's that?" Mystake took notice to the parchment he was pointing at, and walked forward to pick it up.

"I don't believe it..."

"Mystake?"

She chuckled. "they may have the Sword of Sanctuary, Sensei Lloyd, but fate has rewarded us with _the Scroll of Airjitzu._"

* * *

**PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY REVIEW. I like feedback. **


	9. A King's Queen

**Guess who's back, back again? **

**I OWN NOTHING.**

**Chapter 9: A King's Queen**

* * *

Had it been just the scroll of Airjitzu that had affected the day for Lloyd, his mood would have been more celebratory. But that was not the case.

Across the view of the Cloud Kingdom, rubble lay about, the Tower was aflame, bits of Nindroid lay everywhere. as they walked further towards the battlefield, Nobu gasped.

At least 20 monks lay dead, with Nimbus's cold body at the center of the field. "Nimbus!" The monk ran and crouched down to feel a pulse or heartbeat, but no such sign gave admittance to him. "No..."

"I'm so sorry, Nobu. We did this, if we hadn't come-" The young monk lifted his hand. "No, Sensei Lloyd. This is The Master Writer's doing. Fenwick will pay for his crimes. He will face our realm's justice."

"Which is?"

"Most likely imprisonment within the abyss. We do not believe in killing one of our own. But that is for us to worry about. You should get to your ship and go home. With the Scroll of Airjitzu, you are one step closer to safeguarding your grandfather's legacy."

"As you wish, Nobu. Mystake, shall we..." He turned to see Mystake at the doorway of what was previously Nimbus's lair, which they had used to imprison Pythor and Cryptor. She stood there frozen. "Uh, Mystake?"

"They appeared right here. With the Realm Crystal." Lloyd walked forward to see what she was seeing. "How do you know?"

"Because, Lloyd Garmadon…" She pointed within the room, giving Lloyd notice of the disheveled skeleton that lay on the ground. "THAT is your grandfather's body."

He was at a loss for words. Neither nauseous nor hungry, he latched his arms around his stomach, as if experiencing phantom pains. The shock overtook him. "My... the First Spinjitzu Master's body? How?"

The old woman grimaced. "He had his final resting place built in complete secrecy, to hold the Realm Crystal. My only guess would be the Dark Army had used the clues from the Scroll of Airjitzu to find it, and leave it here as a sick display of their powers."

"But if that is true, why give us the Scroll?"

"I don't know. But I is authentic, all right, not a replica. We will take it, and his body, back home with us. The First Spinjitzu Master's body will be at peace once more. Let's go."

* * *

Although Kai had elected to take the _first _shift through the night as the encampment of Elemental Masters within the forest, he ended up staying on watch through the night. By choice. He had seen too much the previous day. He sat, staring at the dim fire in the camp's center. After months, the Dark Army had finally resurfaced, and attacked everyone he had been searching for. But he found comfort knowing they would all be safe once back at the tower.

And now that the sun was almost up, he knew they made it through the night without an incident.

Until the bushes next to him began to rustle.

Immediately jumping to action, he extended his sword, aimed high. "Not one step closer! Who is there?"

"JEEZ, Kai! Put that thing away, it's me!" The orange-clad warrior showed her face through the branches, stepping forward despite his warning. Seeing her, he lowered his weapon. "Skylor! Sorry. What were you doing away from camp? We need to stick together at all times."

Her face flustered slightly. "I was...erm, y'know..." She stared at him, seeing the obvious need for a definite answer. "_Relieving_ myself, ok? Sorry I didn't want to interrupt your **brooding **to inform you that I needed to go in the woods." She deepened her voice on "brooding," earning a smile and chuckle from the Master of Fire.

"Heh, I do not "brood." That's Cole! I was just... thinking."

"About?" Skylor sat across him at the base of the fire, clearly interested in whatever he had to say.

"Well, you clearly know the major details. Jay Walker gave his life to defeat the Overlord. He was he best of us in ways I could never be. He lost his trust, his friends... his _parents _in front of him, and he still managed to do the right thing in the end. I could never. My parents died when Nya and I were toddlers, and that alone drove me to become a self-entitled prick who was overprotective of his sister."

"But this is not what you are brooding about."

"...No. I just want to make sure we do this right. Safeguard the Masters, the legacy of Lloyd's grandfather, train the next generation of students... all to make Jay and Wu proud."

Skylor smiled lightly. "I'm sure they are, Kai, I'm su-"

"-_zzt- KAI! DO YOU COPY! -zzt-" _The booming voice of Nya over his communicator interrupted them both, bringing them back to full reality. "YEAH! Yeah, uh, sis. I copy. I found all of the Elemental Masters. We are on our way back to the Tower."

"_-zzt- YES! I got him! But no Kai! Don't go to the tower. Take them to the Desert of Doom! Pixal detected a massive surge of enemy movement headed there, right where Clutch and Misako are! Worse, they appear to have expanded their numbers. With the Elemental Masters, we'd stand a fighting chance! -zzt-"_

"...Alright, sis. We'll meet you on the way there. Over and out." He looked back up to Skylor. "Wake the others, I'll prep the ship. It's time we end this."

* * *

The Serpentine warriors had spent the entire night preparing the grand room within the Pyramid. They lit up every torch, cleaned every corner. Now, Misako and Clutch could fully see who they had meant by "_her:_" A ginormous mural of a Serpentine Sorceress spread across the wall they all faced.

She was from the tribe of Vipers: Black-bluish scales, similar to both Constrictai and Hypnobrai. Hypnotic eye-circles, token trait of the Serpentine. Baring obvious fangs, favored tools of the Fangpyre, and the mural alone revealed that this specific specimen had great agility, one of the many skills of the (nearly) extinct Anacondrai. Misako could only guess that the early Vipers also had traits venom inherited by the Venomari.

She was hoping to examine more with the silence, but Clutch wasn't so patient. "So, Skales, who's the chick?"

"That, you insipid oaf, is the great Aspheera, Sorceress of the Serpentine under King Mambo the Fifth." The name immediately struck a bell with Misako. _Oh no._

"You can't seriously mean to _free _her?! She attempted to overthrow King mambo! She betrayed her kind for power! If it wasn't for Wu-"

"Then she perhaps could have saved the Vipers from extinction!" The Hypnobrai general slithered forward, staff pointed at her face. "She may have been unpredictable, but she has been imprisoned for millennia; and with Wu out of the picture, just like Garmadon, her lust for revenge would dissipate, allowing her to see the... _bigger picture." _

He laughed maniacally at the last phrase, which the other generals and warriors echoed in turn. Only Clutch, Misako, and The Mechanic failed to find the humor. The entire room rang with the shriveling noise.

Until a portal appeared in the room's center.

"Ah, finally." Dozens of Anacondrai cultists, two Skulkin Warriors, a few Nindroids, Kruncha, Knuckal, Chen, Pythor, and Ronin jumped out into the room.

"King Pythor, we have been expecting your arrival, just as foretold." The albino Anacondrai snicked at his top general. "Ah, Skales. I trust everything has gone as planned, then?"

"To the letter, my King. Misako and the adventurer are here, the room is prepared, all we need is for the arrival of the rest, and then we'll- oh, speak of the devils!" The distant sounds of engines spurring to a stop outside the Pyramid entrance told them of the Dark Armies arrival. "It appears that everything is in order. Kruncha, Knuckal, Cryptor! You and your men go up and relay the orders to our forces."

They did as they were ordered, handing the Realm Crystal to Pythor, and leaving Ronin with The Mechanic to guard Clutch and Misako.

Once he got a full look-around the room, the Serpentine King approached the mural, feeling the texture of the wall. eyes closed, he began to whisper, in a voice no one could hear him: "We are almost there, Aspheera. My Queen. Soon, everything that was promised will be _ours."_

* * *

"...All I'm saying is I still don't see why all of _them _got to come, but only a handful of our factions joined the party. Hell, we even brought that gigantic Anacondrai Serpent!" Outside the Pyramid, Luke Cunningham stood with Mindroid, a Skulkin, and a Stone Army warrior, commenting on the severe dispraportions between their factions and the entirety of Anacondrai Cultists, Serpentine Tribes, and Vermillion factions that were getting into formation outside the Pyramid.

At the base of the Pyramid's entrance, Vermillion General Machia pointed at the vehicle Misako and Clutch had used, bringing two Buffmillions to quickly dismantle it. "ALL RIGHT, LISTEN UP!" Her booming voice brought everyone's attention on her, including her commanders, Blunck and Raggmunk.

"As soon as we get the all-clear, Serpentine forces - Yes, that includes the Cultists - will follow me, Commander Blunck, and Commander Raggmunk inside. Non-serpentine forces are to keep watch, the Ninja will try to save their friends. Understood?"

"**YES, GENERAL!**" With the Serpentine, Vermillion, Buffmillion, Anacondrai Cultists, and the large Purple Serpent getting in formation, Machia turned to see figures coming out of the temple. "Ah, General Cryptor. I take it all has gone to plan."

"Precisely, General Machia. With the Time Twins and all our other forces guarding camp, this small lot will do for a scouting force. You'd better head on in, King Pythor awaits."

* * *

**Shorter chapter, I know. Sorry! PLEASE REVIEW **


	10. Awakening

**I'm baaaack! I am so sorry for the extra long wait, I had finals and then reunited with family after 3 months away from them. We all know the drill, let's do this:**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Awakening**

At the top of Borg Tower, the bipedal genius sat alongside Pixal and several of the young students, overlooking the city. It had been hours now since the ninja had left, heading towards an almost certain deadly battle.

"I'm sure they will be fine, Pixal." Although they were not related by blood, Cyrus Borg had considered Pixal his own, and new her every emotion as if they were his. This included her seeing fear for Zane and the rest.

"I know, Dr. Borg, but... I am so confused. My logic receptors cannot process all that is happening: all at one, the Dark Army re-emerges, we lose contact with Lloyd and Mystake, and a strange anomaly occurs just over the City. I categorize these as "bad omens," but for what?"

Before he Could answer, Cyrus was surprised by Brad's sudden burst of energy. "LOOK!" He pointed across the city skyline: Coming from the north at raging speeds was the Ultra Sonic Jet. _Lloyd. _Before they could even wave to guide them onto the top platform, the group scattered to make room for the fast-approaching Jet as it all but crashed onto the sleek surface.

"GAH! Lloyd, what are yo-" The android was interrupted by the Green Sensei jumping out of the cockpit, gripping onto the Scroll of Airjitzu.

"NOT NOW, PIXAL! We have to get this to safety before the Dark Army gets here! THEY'VE RETURNED!"

"Yes, we know."

He was taken aback. "...What?"

"A large portion of their forces have been spotted moving across the Desert of Doom, towards the destination of Clutch and your Mother. And Lloyd... it seems they have added more to their legions. We tried to contact you, but the Jet's communication systems must be damaged."

"Mom is in danger?!"

Cyrus wheeled forward. "We have already sent Nya, Cole, Dareth, and Zane to face them. As we understand it, thye have contacted Kai, who has found the remaining Elemental Masters. They are headed in the same direction now."

The Green Sensei put his hands to his forehead, his mind racing. "That won't be enough!"

"No, young Lloyd, it will not." The collective group turned to face Mystake as she slowly disembarked the Jet, carefully carrying a crate which contained the remains of the first Spinjitzu Master. "You have to go help them. We will take care of our business here, and await your return."

He nodded in agreement with the proposal, handing off the Scroll to Pixal before jumping back into the Jet. "OK, to the Desert of Doom!"

"Lloyd, wait!" He turned back to Pixal. "Please... take care of Zane. And, do take care of yourself."

"I will, Pixal." With that, the Jet lifted up and sped away, hoping to reinforce the Ninja.

* * *

Less than 500 feet away, hidden by Dark Magic, Garmadon stood within the carrier alongside Harumi and Clouse as he watched his son wisp away in his sleek white Jet. "Oh, Lloyd. You poor, sad fool; this will break your heart."

* * *

At the encampment around the Golden Peaks, the Time Twins stood at the forefront of the new Temple. While Krux stood proudly as he watched over the soldiers work, Acronix only stared at his aged twin in confusion.

"I still do not understand, brother. All this, time, you prepare for my return, so that we may overthrow Ninjago together with the might of the Vermillion. Then you just... _Hand _them over once I actually am retrieved through the time slip?!"

"Yes, that was my plan. But then I thought it would make kind of a dumb plotline. Also, do not forget it was the work of Clouse at Garmadon's orders who helped retrieved you."

The younger-looking twin folded his arms in irritation. "Two of our former enemies."

"True. _Former_ being the key word. We have brokered an alliance, and have allowed Chen to copy our power's essence into his staff. They have shown us that our strength is in numbers. And there is still so much we have yet to gain..." He trailed off at the sight of four incoming SOG cycles. Walking forward, the twins approached the halting vehicles alongside Killow and Ultra Violet, who were eager to be reunited with their fellow general.

"Well, Mr. E, did all go as planned?"

The black-clad Biker silently nodded, taking out the Mask of Vengeance. "Good, you were warned you would likely need to use the Mask. I see your other men have sustained some damage from the fights. But what is important is that you have moved the Great Plan forward. Heal up, boys!" Dismissing the three other Bikers to go to the infirmary, Krux turned to Ultra Violet.

"All is according to plan. Soon, we will have everything we need. Prepare our prisoners, Ultra Violet; we cannot afford to waste time once Lord Garmadon returns!"

* * *

Only miles away from the ancient Pyramid now, the Ninja Tumbler and the DB X rolled across the sand, intent on arriving ASAP. "We need to hurry, Ninja!"

"Zane, we know, but the fact is, they have already arrived at the Pyramid. At this point, it is a matter of stopping them from finding the Forbidden Scrolls within the temple." Although Nya made a point, the white Ninja stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. "They _killed Jay,_ Nya. If they kill Misako-"

"They wouldn't dare, Zane!" Dareth's voice interjected. "Both she and Clutch know too much about the scrolls to be considered invaluable. I know they are alive."

Cole agreed. "Dareth is right."

"_ -Zzt- WOAH, this must really be the end times if Dareth is right!-zzt-"_

"KAI? Where are you?" Cole didn't require a verbal answer before he looked out the front view and to his right, to see a slightly-modified _Destiny's Shadow _carrying a large amount of Elemental Masters, with Kai driving.

The Red ninja raised his fist in the air, rallying his new friends. "ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, LET'S KICK SOME ASS!"

* * *

"My friends, the time will soon be upon us!" Pythor stood at the epicenter of the room, surrounded by thousands of Serpentine from all different tribes and factions. The warriors took up all the space in the room, and were in fact spread throughout the entirety of the Pyramid, with the Anacondrai Serpent in the entrance of the giant room.

The four tribe Generals stood behind their King, along with Machia, Raggmunk, Blunck, and Chen. "We only await for three people now! First, Skales, if you would be so kind..." The Hypnobrai General bowed his head graciously, slithering forward with the Realm Crystal before handing it to his King.

Pythor stared at the jewel before raising it in the air, signaling his warriors to cheer. "FIRST, we bring back the one who is lost!"

At the far back of the room, Misako and Clutch stared in confusion. "What's he talking about, Clutch?"

"I have no idea."

After the cheers ended, Pythor closed his eyes in concentration, summoning a portal above him. "From the far reaches of the Realm of Abominations, the one who is a bridge of Venomari and Anacondrai, he who was banished for his pride, for siding with adventurers and not those who would tame the High Seas, I call upon you to come home, CLANCEE!"

Immediately, a light-green skinned Serpentine fell out of the portal, landing on his face. "AAAH-OOF!" Picking himself up, Misako could see the strange warrior in full-view now: He indeed had the complexion of a Venomari, with green skin and yellow eyes, but had the bone structure of the old Anacondrai with the exception of a tail. Instead, he had a leg and a pirate's peg leg, along with multicolored pirate raider armor. She also noticed he was shivering in fear.

"AH! W-w-who are y-y-you? Serpent-t-t-tine? You all c-c-cast me out!" Pythor slithered forward and clasped his hands. "Yes, Clancee. Our ancestors cast you out. But through Dark Magic associated with your "employer," you have lived long past an of them! Now, you are welcomed back into the fold of the FULL might of ALL SERPENTINE!" The shrilling noise of thousands of Serpentine cheering throughout the halls of the Pyramid sent shivers up Clutch and Misako's spines.

Clancee on the other hand, surrendered a large smile on his face. "I... I can come back?" His stutter practically dissipated with the news. The Serpentine King looked back at him, a large grin also covering his face. "Yes, Clancee. And that is not all! As Serpentine King, I will return our dark Queen Aspheera from her entrapment! Together, we will bring the full might of the Serpentine to the Dark Army, and be all the more closer to complete domination!"

"Dark Army? So it's not just Serpentine? I see several human faces around here!" He pointed accusingly at Chen's cultists before Pythor put a hand on his shoulder.

"We are but a portion of the Dark Army. We seek unanimous control, for together, we are stronger then anything the Ninja would throw at us! Don't you worry, Clancee, I know what you want to ask; they will all be returned and brought into the fold. But now..." He trailed off, staring forward at the crowd. "THE SECOND!"

Several warriors marched forward, carrying what Misako perceived as a coffin, styled similarly to those within the Pyramid. Placing the coffin in front of Pythor and Clancee, they stepped back giving their King the chance to speak again.

"The Loyal! Dedicated servant, sworn to carry the mantle of his Master's legacy after her entrapment, and who has long since passed with her secrets well-kept, General Char of the Vipers!" He used his staff to open the box, showing a fully-kept corpse of a Black Viper. In his hands, he clasped onto a tablet, which Clancee carefully removed, making sure not to damage the body.

Clancee stared at the tablet before holding it above his head, giving him the spotlight as the warriors cheered in unison. The pirate-Serpentine smiled as he turned to his king, who nodded graciously before holding his hand up to hush the crowd.

"AND NOW, SERPENTINE! It is our honor, our duty, and our genuine pleasure to bring our forces to full might! THE THIRD, I call upon you, Clancee, to bring back to us! QUEEN ASPHEERA!" The warriors cheered in unison as Clancee stepped forward, facing the large mural on the wall, reciting the words on the Tablet.

"From the bonds brought down upon you from the betrayer... For the good of those who seek to serve... I break the spells which hold you entrapped... So that you may have your Revenge! _Slatha… dooktu macha rivo! _Slatha… dooktu macha rivo! SLATHA DOOKTU MACHA RIVO!"

Misako watched in both awe and horror as the mural illuminated a purple aura before it began to crumble, and within seconds, burst open. All in the room shielded their eyes from the dust, and Pythor was the first to look to see the sight before him: His Queen, the Sorceress Viper Aspheera, slither forward with her scepter, laughing as she stared at those before her.

"My loyal... I. HAVE. AWAKENED!"

* * *

**OK OK, I KNOW this was super late and still kinda short. I am REALLY sorry, but I promise there will be at least one more chapter before the new year.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. Revival

**I am back, and ready for a new decade! Raise your glasses for 2020, this is my last update for the 2010's, and it's a MUCH bigger chapter then the last few! **

**A lot happens in this one, just so you are aware.**

**Y'all know the drill, I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Revival**

The room was silent. The silence echoed throughout the entire Pyramid. The air was stiff, as not a single being, Serpentine or human, moved before granting Aspheera her time to bathe in the shock emanating from her kinsman. It took her all of a minute for her to stop her despotic laughing and look at those around her, before she focused on the long-necked albino in front of her.

Scepter in hand, she slithered forward towards him, inspecting every scale of the specimen that had orchestrated her freedom. "Pythor?"

The Anacondrai smiled. Not a wicked smile, or even a mischievous grin, but a genuine smile. "It is me, my Queen. The one in your dreams."

The Viper moved her right hand to his face, caressing his side. "It has been so long since I have felt anything... or anyone. Pythor, my King... _thank you._" She brought her face closer to his as they closed their eyes and touched foreheads, the common gesture of romantic dedication towards one another in Serpentine culture. The surrounding warriors all cheered lightly, witnessing a sight they clearly had hoped to see.

Misako, on the other hand, was starting to lose her grasp on reality as she turned to the Mechanic. "HEY, half-face! Just what the hell is happening?!"

The disgruntled engineer looked to Ronin first, who in turn shrugged in in an _oh well _manner, before they both turned to face their captives. "Well, Ms. Misako, King Pythor has been mentally linked to the entombed Aspheera for some time now. How, we have no clue. He orchestrated this whole operation in the hopes of their, heh, _partnership_, and so that her skills will bring a new level of muscle to the Dark Army."

Clutch stared at him confused. "And just _why _are you telling us all of this?" Ronin chuckled as he stepped forward and leaned to the adventurer. "Because you were going to find out eventually, and we were never the types of guys for patience."

Returning her attention to the newly-freed Aspheera, Misako could see that Pythor was once again conversing with her.

"It is my pleasure to serve, my Queen. For the greatest good of our kind, and for our _allies_." He circled around as he gestured his staff towards all that surrounded them, bringing attention back around to Clancee with the Realm Crystal and Tablet still in hand, Master Chen with his staff of powers in one hand and the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu in the other, and the Corpse of General Char.

"Naturally, Pythor." The Viper Sorceress approached Clancee first, who did his best to stand proudly in the presence of a Serpentine Legend. But she noticed his struggles on the peg leg, and put her hand on his shoulder to ease his worry. "After all, anyone who is so willing to serve the greatest good for their kind, especially through a crippling wound, deserves the highest rewards."

With the purple glow of her Scepter, Aspheera backed away and shot Clancee with a spell, enwrapping him in a bright light. For a brief moment, the entire room was blinded by the light, but they were quickly widening their eyes in bewilderment.

Clancee now stood on both legs, throwing his peg leg to the side. As if he never had it, his slouch had disappeared, making him stand an entire six inches taller, and his pirate Raider armor was reinforced with magic. He looked down to see another gift: Fashioned after the swords used by the pirate raiders of old, Aspheera had granted Clancee a specialized Anacondrai blade with green markings, to represent all three aspects of his identity: The Venomari, the Anacondrai, and the Pirates.

"My Queen..." The reborn warrior bowed his head and kneeled to her. "Thank you!"

"Rise, Clancee. Stand, for these are gifts I want you to use." He nodded, giving her a final look of gratitude, before she moved to Chen, eyeing his staff. "Now... what do we have here?"

* * *

Standard Nindroids were not built to lurk about the desert for long periods of time. Although he was no standard Nindroid, General Cryptor was no exception to the rule. It had been well over an hour since Machia and all the other Serpentine-related footmen entered the fortress. Judging from the sudden spike in noise levels within the Pyramid, then their immediate silence, he had concluded they found Aspheera.

Then why the hell was he, and everyone else, still standing outside when they could be heading back to base?!

"You there, scout!" The nearby Stone Warrior turned to the Nindroid General in confusion, but approached him nonetheless. Cryptor admired that; although they were very different beings, he appreciated how they were both created by the same Ultimate Master, and thus had the same respect for order and discipline. Factors that the other factions scarcely exhibited, to his great annoyance.

"I want you and three other scouts on lookout; It is quite likely we will be on the move soon, and I don't want any surprise attacks from the Ninja when we are loading up at our most vulnerable." The Stone Warrior saluted him and ran off, carrying out his orders. Under the mask, Cryptor smiled, looking at the sky. _Hmmm, the sun will be down soon._

* * *

"...and that is how we would become Anacondrai warriors; strong, loyal, emboldened, and ready to continue the Legacy of the first Anacondrai." Chen had said, bowing his face in humility. Aspheera stared at him and his cultists for several moments before looking up at the large Anacondrai Serpent, then back to Pythor.

"And you are satisfied with this proposal?"

He inclined his head with his classic grin. "At first I greatly opposed it, but I have come to understand the necessity of it. They will continue my tribes legacy, and bring about Anacondrai spirit back to its own full strength."

Considering this, she turned back to Chen. "Hmmm. Very well, I will do it." After a quick cheer, she held up her hand. "**So long as**... you swear loyalty to not only the Dark Army, but to myself and Pythor as Queen and King of all Serpentine."

"Of course, great Aspheera!"

"Excellent. Now, There is one thing you said that I must correct... As a rather practiced Serpentine sorceress, I do not need to obtain every Element you collected to complete the ritual..." She placed her left hand on the staff's crystal. "I simply need to copy them!"

With a rainbow of light emanating from the crystal, a flow of energy went through the Serpentine Queen and into her scepter, lighting it up. "And I also do not need to read any incantation, not require any essence from Pythor or the Serpent to make such a metamorphosis permanent! I am a professional, after all! Now approach."

Chen and every other Cultist did so, with the others making space for them. Soon, all 300+ members knelt before her as Misako and Clutch struggled to see what was happening. The only context of the situation they had came from Ronin's cryptic comment to The Mechanic: "Heads up, it's somehow about to get _even more_ scaley in here."

Whispering, the old archaeologist turned to her guide. "Clutch, what is happening?"

"I can't tell, but if worst comes to worst, we cannot let them take off with that sorceress."

"Well, it's not like we have a lot of our own options at the moment!" Clutch snickered at the comment; unbeknownst to all but him, he had been using a rough file he kept up his sleeve to naw at the rope ever since they were tied. It was only a matter of time now before he could strike. _Come on, COME ON._

Aspheera stretched out both of her arms and stared up at the crowd. "FELLOW SERPENTINE! FOR A MILLENIA, I WAS LOCKED AWAY, TRAPPED, UNABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE OUTSIDE! IN THAT TIME... MY OWN PEOPLE HAD DIED OFF! IN THAT TIME, YOU, THE DESCENDANTS OF THE VIPERS, WAGED WAR, RESULTING IN ANOTHER SORE LOSS FOR OUR PEOPLE. IN THAT TIME, THE SINGLE GREATEST SERPENT OF OUR KIND, THE GREAT DEVOURER, RAN AMOCK AND HAD LOST ALL CONTROL OF ITSELF. IT IS HERE AND NOW THAT I SAY... **ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"**

The crowd ate it up. Roars of approval filled the halls. "FOR NOW... NOW, WE REBUILD OUR GREAT EMPIRE. AND WE START WITH THE ANACONDRAI! _Scrubiu, chalata, seeju! Yosau, tonaka, madief! **Bela, meedem, hurrem! QUALSU, FRENDA, XIELDO!"**_

Her voice began to bellow and echo throughout the chamber, and the tattoos on all of the Cultists began to glow.

* * *

The heat of the desert was beginning to get to the Master of Water. Although Nya had yet to assume the title and mantle, she already began to exhibit tendencies one would expect from such a position. Most important of which was her preference to calmer climates.

Unfortunately for her, they had disembarked from their vehicles and walked on foot up a hill of sand to see the Pyramid in the close distance, leaving them to the mercy of the sun. Fortunately, nightfall was fast approaching.

Zane and Kai led the party uphill, closely followed by the orange-clad woman who introduced herself as Skylor. "This way, everyone, and quietly!" Once near the top, the two of them crouched down so that only their eyelines could see the Pyramid and it's guarding party.

Nya followed their example, as did the rest. "Damn, they destroyed the Ultra Sonic Jet. Clutch and Misako must be captive!"

Nya held onto Cole's hand in reassurance when Kai responded. "I see it Cole. But they aren't out here; they must be inside. Zane, how many do you count are out there?"

The Nindroid took several seconds to scan before responding. "63 hostiles total reside outside; 12 Skulkin, 15 Sons of Garmadon, 16 Stone Army Warriors, 20 Nindroids. However, based on the total count of Vehicles and the heavy tracks that lead within the Pyramid's entrance..." Zane halted his sentence, as if he was buffering. Everyone stared at him confused, until Skylor was the first to speak up.

"What is it?"

"... It appears that every single Serpentine warrior is inside the Pyramid. And then some. There are thousands of heat signatures within the structure."

The news came as a blow to the group. Gathering her thoughts, Nya looked to her brother for guidance. "What do we do?"

He gave her a calm look before looking back Zane, then everyone else, then finally at the wrecked Ultra Sonic Jet. "We will not allow another one of us to become a Martyr." He turned to look at Skylor specifically. "No more death. The only advantages we have over them are our powers and our unknown presence."

He backed downhill so that he could stand up fully without any Dark Army scouts seeing him, which was then followed by example by everyone else. "The sun will be down soon. Once it is dark, we will launch our attack on the party outside. Once they are distracted, Zane and Myself will go inside to rescue our friends."

The Elemental Master's and other Ninja nodded at the solidity of the plan, save Skylor. "Why just you two?"

"A smaller party would have a better chance at avoiding detection, and the two of us have more training at the arts of subtlety." Begrudgingly, Skylor nodded at the logic.

"It's settled then."

* * *

Above the skyline of Ninjago City, over the clouds and just within the light of the setting sun, Garmadon stood in the lone gunship with his eyes closed. "Hmmm." The Quiet One noticed his sudden change in attitude during his "meditation." Clouse noticed it as well.

"Is something the matter, my Lord?" This broke his concentration slightly, but he did not turn to face them, nor did he even open his eyes. "No, Quiet One. In fact, everything is proceeding exactly as designed. Clouse... prepare yourself."

"For wha- OH!" A sudden jolt of unexpected energy burned in his chest. he pulled his collar down to see his snakehead tattoo was glowing. Realizing what was happening, he smiled with joy. "They-they found Aspheera! Yes!"

But his smile dissipated moments thereafter, replaced with a panicked look in his eyes and his mouth hanging wide open as he squirmed on his knees in frustration. Harumi stared in confusion, whereas Garmadon barely looked over at him, instead focused on the sky line in front of them.

"I-its working!" Clouse's skin began to morph into a purple hue, old wrinkles being replaced by scales. His legs stuck together as they stretched out, forming a long purple tail. Although his head shape remained the same, his clothes tore with the transformation. "It worked!"

Harumi smiled, looking to Garmadon. "Then it seems Aspheera is as good as you said, my Lord. I suspect the Ninja and their newfound allies will be ther soon, if not already, just as you said they would be." But the Dark Lord didn't respond. He wasn't even listening, as all the noise was tuned out so that he could listen to something else entirely.

_Soon_. He thought to himself. _**SOON.**_

* * *

The New Anacondrai basked at their newfound glory in disbelief; after decades of scheming in isolation, years of noodle-making, and months under a new allegiance, Chen and his army have finally made their dream a reality. Chen himself, whose head kept its initial shape, approached Aspheera with glee before bowing.

"MY QUEEN! Oh, thank you! Thank you!" His other cultists followed his lead, and soon, so did everyone else. The Viper Sorceress basked in the sight of so many loyal to her, and turned to Pythor, making a motion for him to rise, before announcing to everyone else.

"Arise, all of you! These gifts are but a fraction of what we can accomplish together, and with our allegiance within the Dark Army, nothing will stand in our way!" Cheers echoed, the gratitude of thousands beckoning their Queen to continue. But the Viper had nothing more to say. Pythor noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes, and followed her gaze to the coffin of General Char.

Leaping to action, the Anacondrai banged his staff on the stone surface, calling attention to him. "Silence!"

Once the noise died down, he looked to Aspheera. "Much of early Sepentine history has been lost to time. While your legend lived on through generations, almost no mentions of General Char survived to today. But ancient writings lead us to discover his resting place in an old Serpentine temple, where he rested in isolation."

Aspheera had already come to the conclusion of his story. "He was condemned for following me."

"Yes. But if it were not for his dedication to you, we would not have obtained the tablet necessary for your release." He bowed his head and moved aside, making way for his Queen to approach the coffin. She lurked over the corpse, clearly upset by the sight of her most loyal servant's body.

she closed her eyes, speaking in a low voice. "You did not deserve this, Char. You never abandoned my side, despite the cruelty I had shown towards you." After opening her eyes again, she only then noticed the markings he had written on his torso. The language of Serpentine. _FIRE._

"By the First Spinjitzu Master..." She looked back at Chen's staff, then to Pythor, who stared at her confused, then to The Mechanic. Scepter in hand, she sped up towards him in a threatening manner.

"The Scroll! Give it to me, NOW!" Panicking, he nodded and reached his hand out with it, allowing it to be sharply snatched away.

"My Queen, what is it?" She didn't answer Clancee, instead slithering up to Chen's staff. "I apologize, Chen. I will have to take ONE element out of here permanently."

"Uh, of course, my Queen."

The Sorceress placed her hand on the staff's crystal, which slowly glowed red, then transferred that glow into her hand. "Yes!" Her hand began to glow brightly from red to gold, then her arm did as well, then her entire body. "It is working!" Her entire form now emitted a light golden glow, and her tail and neckline had a radiating flame around them.

She put the Scroll back in hand, attaching it to her Scepter, before approaching the coffin once again. "With the power of the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu, for your unwavering loyalty and dedication, ARISE, GENERAL CHAR!"

With a slight tap of the Scepter, the corpse jumped to life, and General Char rose from his coffin, coughing out smoke. His black scales kept their dark hue, yet like Aspheera, his neckline and tail also had a light radiating line of fire on them. The Serpentine warriors all around stared in disbelief, as did the two mercenaries and captives.

"*Cough*Cough* Whew... I must have been out for a while! *GASP* Aspheera, my Queen!" He bowed down in humility, but was caught off guard by her effort to dissuade him of his actions.

"Rise, Char. Without you, none of us would be here. And I see you had discovered how to be brought back."

"Fire, yes! After your disappearance, I traced elemental masters in hopes of finding a way to free you. In my search, I discovered the tablet and your magic, along with the combined power of the Fire Element, you could resurrect dead Serpentine! I was discovered by Wu and Garmadon eventually, however, and was buried alive within a temple."

"Well, the deceiver Wu is dead, and Garmadon is our ally now, as well as thousands of others who make up the Dark Army." Allowing Char the chance to remove himself from the coffin and get to her left along with Clancee, Aspheera beckoned Pythor to her right side, along with Chen. "Serpentine, our time has come! At last, I will be free of this tomb, and we shall make our might known to Ninjago!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Clutch whispered. Misako turned towards him in confusion. "What?"

But he didn't respond. Instead, he broke the last of the rope with his blade in hand, allowing hi to rapidly remove the one around his ankles. "I am going to make sure her power never leaves this room!"

"Wait Clutch, don't-" Misako's efforts were useless; running past Ronin and the Mechanic, the renowned explorer torpedoed through the crowd of cheering serpentine. He jumped over an Anacondrai's tail; he slid under the flaying arms of a spazzing Vermillion; he zipped around the Constrictai General, who would have for sure stopped him in his tracks. Just as Aspheera began to notice the commotion from the side, Clutch jumped up towards her, blade in hand, aimed right for her eye...

Only to be stopped midair by Pythor and Char's staffs.

Clancee ran forward and held onto Clutch's arms tight, holding him down as he dropped the knife. Almost bewildered by the human's bravery and foolishness, the Serpentine Queen peered down at him. "You tried to kill me."

"...Yes."

"Your knife would have likely done the deed, too. At your speed, it would have penetrated straight through my left eye and into my brain. Killing me slowly, but surely." Gulping out of nervousness for his own misfortune, Clutch continued to stare at her.

"But thanks to the brave efforts of my King and General, I am still here. You did not kill me, so why should I kill you?"

Both Clutch and Misako sighed with relief; even The Mechanic and Ronin eased up at the news.

"However... what kind of leader would I be if I didn't teach a valuable lesson from such an event? Perhaps, to make this fair, I should consider the unspoken law of... _an eye for an eye?_" She approached him, picking up the blade.

"Wait-" But it was no use to protest. The rugged knife went straight into his left eye. "AAAUUUUUUGHHHHHHHH!"

"NO!" Misako struggled to free herself. Ronin and The Mechanic were stunned at the cruel show. The Serpentine stared with pride at the sight of the crouching man, blood oozing out of his eye socket.

"Well, I think our business is done here. Everyone, let's move-" The sound of an explosion erupting outside the Pyramid interrupted Aspheera, causing everyone to turn their heads the opposite way.

"Well, it appears we may have company."

* * *

The attack was easy enough. As soon as it was dark enough, Ash called on some smoke to surround some of the vehicles, turning the attention of most of the Dark Army soldiers to them. Once distracted by that, Kai and Skylor hurled two massive fireballs at the vehicles, causing a massive explosion, knocking the surrounding warriors to the sand.

"GO!"

With everyone back on the vehicles, the Ninja and Elemental Masters raced downhill towards the small encampment, evading every shot fired at them. The Tumbler, piloted by Karloff, plowed through several bikes and heavy armored Serpentine vehicles, knocking them to the side. The DBX swerved to a halt in front of a dozen warriors, getting sand in their eyes, allowing the Ninja inside time to disembark and engage the enemy in hand-to-hand. The Destiny's Shadow headed straight to the entrance of the Pyramid, giving Zane and Kai the opening to run inside as the Masters jumped off and fought the incoming enemies.

Cryptor, however, noticed their movements with his advanced X-ray vision.

_Oh no **you don't**._

* * *

"This way, Kai!" Zane lead the way through the halls and down the stairs, careful to avoid the Serpentine warriors. Stopping at the bottom of the stairway, both Ninja saw shadows and moved back up.

"The way is too exposed. Even is we are silent, there is no way to go without being seen!" Thinking quickly, Kai looked to his Nindroid brother. "Yes there is! I can extinguish the flames, and we can run through without them seeing!"

"You can do that?"

He nodded. "I have been practicing." Kai closed his eyes and reached his hand out in an open motion, before quickly making a closed fist. Zane looked to see the lights emitting from the room dim before it became pitch black. The shrill accented voice of a Venomari cried out. "HEY! Who turned out the lights!?"

"Now!" Both Ninja took ahold of the opportunity, dashing through the room and hallway, Kai repeating the same move on his feet with every torch they approached, evading the detection of several hundred Serpentine in the process.

Sensing a much more condense presence of Serpentine ahead, Zane stopped and whisper-shouted to Kai. "There! Stop! They are in the main room ahead of us." the Red Ninja nodded. Crouched down, they both crawled towards the entryway into the main room, and peered on the side at a stupendous - and horrific - sight: Thousands of Serpentine gathered in one room. Not only were the four major tribes and Pythor within the room, but an entire small army of Anacondrai, as well as man-snakes made up of hundreds of snakes of red and orange color. A single anomaly of a serpentine also held onto Clutch, who they could see was bowing his head and squirming. off to the side was Misako, tied up and guarded by two odd-looking humans. And in the center were two Vipers, one black and one gold, both of which had lines of fire emanating from their necklines and tails.

Zane noticed the golden female holding a scepter with the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu. "It's Aspheera."

"There are too many to fight. What do we do?"

"This." Without so much as a warning, Zane stood up fully and walked into the center of the entryway. "Aspheera!"All heads turned to the entryway to see the White Ninja in a fighting stance, aiming his bow at the Serpentine Queen. "Give me my friends, and I won-"

He never got to finish his sentence before the long blade of General Cryptor rammed through his back, eviscerating his core processor, and out of his chest, killing him instantly.

* * *

**AAAAAAAAND THERE WE GO! Last chapter of the year. PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF YOU, COMMENT AND GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS!**


	12. A Thousand Gains, One Loss

**Once again, I have returned. Let's get down to it. I update whenever possible. **

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: A Thousand Gains, One Loss**

The plan had worked to perfection. The Elemental Master's had created the perfect distraction, allowing Zane and Kai to run through the smoke into the Pyramid entrance. Vehicles burned, Dark Infantrymen scattered in fear, and they made their strike.

Dareth and Cole used Spinjitzu to knock the nearest standing scouts to their feet, as Nya put her own elemental skills to practice by hurtling a small cluster of water-daggers at a Nindroid. "Nice work Nya!"

She blushed slightly at Cole's compliment, but did not let it distract her. "NOW!" Skylor, Karloff, and everyone else ran down from the mountain of sand, ready to brawl. Staggering to their feet, a few Bikers and Skulkin grabbed their weapons in response.

"General Kruncha, what do we do?"

"Where is Cryptor?"

"ATTACK!"

And in the confusion, swords flung forward against the incoming elemental powers, while only a few miles away, a white jet was approaching the Pyramid at high-speed.

* * *

"I don't understand what you mean, Mr. Borg. Why do we need to stay here, when we could be out helping our Mentors against the Dark Army?" The genius mind of Cyrus Borg could only take so many repetitive questions before being worn thin with impatience towards small children.

"As I have said before, Bradley, there is no more "Dark Army," these factions are merely splinter groups attempting to regain their powers, which they only held for a day. The Ninja have everything under control. Besides, you are not ready to face them."

Bradley looked to his fellow students as they continued down the hall with Borg, until another spoke up. "OK, but what about-"

"And no, Nelson, I'm sure Sensei Lloyd's rush to action was merely a standard response for him. Let's not forget that he is an experienced Ninja, and he carries the burden of Ninjago on his shoulders. Now, we mustn't dawdle..." He wheeled into the center control room, where Mystake and Pixal had put the crate carrying the remains of the First Spinjitzu Master.

The Android looked up from the crate and her analysis sheets to her father. "Mr. Borg, Lloyd will be approaching the Pyramid in a matter of minutes. We have just lost contact with him, and-" She froze, dropping the tablet in her hand. "H-h-h-oh no..." Recognizing her distress, Cyrus wheeled forward towards her, as Brad and Gene ran to catch her from falling backwards.

"Pixal! What is wrong? Is there a problem with your processor?" She didn't answer. She was practically frozen in place, a look of shock taking over her faceplate, worrying the others. "Pixal! What is wrong? What happened?!"

"It's Zane." All heads turned to Mystake, who sat down as if a sudden wave of exhaustion overtook her, just as shock overtook Pixal. "Zane... has been killed."

Borg's eyes widened. The students began to shake their heads from disbelief. "No... NO. That can't be true!"

Looking to Bradley, who was still supporting her arm, Pixal nodded slowly. "I-it is. He is... gone. I don't kno-"

**"WARNING! WARNING! ADDITIONAL TEMPORAL DISTURBANCE IMMINENT!" **

"Another portal?! Quickly! Alert the Commissioner and his forces on the street, another one is coming!"

* * *

"I told you I, you are an outdated scrap Zane." Cryptor mocked the dead shell that still encompassed his blade in front of him. "This was only a matter of time."

Kai was still crouched down next to them both, horrified at the sight in front of him. Cryptor had seen him, but waited for him to make the first move. The Serpentine, on the other hand, were not so patient.

"GENERAL CRYPTOR! What is the meaning of this?!"

The Nindroid General pushed the body off his sword before acknowledging the Serpentine King, creating a loud CLANG that echoed throughout the halls. "I apologize for the intrusion, Pythor. The Ninja have managed to ally themselves with every elemental master left unaccounted for. These _two _managed to get through our defenses, and I had a score to settle with Zane."

"That is no excuse for- wait, _two?_"

Kai knew he had no choice now. He jumped out of his crouched spot, sword in hand, rushing at Cryptor. "AaaaAAA-"

But he froze in place. Before his blade got within a foot of Cryptor, a pink aura surrounded Kai's form, restricting any movement besides his eyes. He could see the spell that caused this emitted from the golden-fire Viper, Queen Aspheera. The Serpent Queen slithered forward towards him and Cryptor, pushing a still-bleeding Clutch to the side.

"It is no problem, General Cryptor. We were just about finished here, anyway..." Before making her way to Kai, she studied the dead body in front of her. "This was... _Zane, _you said? Master of Ice? Pity... It seems we will need to permanently remove one other element from the staff if our plan is to move forward, Chen."

The New Anacondrai Leader bowed in acknowledgement. "Of course, my Queen." Kai saw two humans, the only two besides himself, Misako, and Clutch, walk towards Clutch and carefully carry him back to Misako.

"Hmmm." With her tail, Aspheera sent Zane's body flying against the nearest wall, breaking it into several parts. Although it wasn't visible, she could see that angered Kai greatly as she approached him and put her scaly hand to his face, studying him. "But you... You are the Master of Fire. Oh, how delightful! I cannot wait for you to see what we have in store! I just love reuni-"

"INCOMING!" Cryptor yelled in an immediate tone of alarm, pointing up at the ceiling of the great room. Everyone looked up to see what he meant.

There was no reaction time.

From the outside, something crashed into the Pyramid's tip, plummeting through it and the room's ceiling, sending chunks of rubble down as hundreds of Serpentine ran in all directions, avoiding debris. The distraction broke Aspheera's focus on Kai, causing the spell that held him to lose hold.

The Red Ninja landed back down on the ground on all fours, breathing heavily from the distress. He could see the two other humans dragging Misako and Clutch behind the nearest pillar, away from the debris. As the dust began to settle, everyone gathered again with their weapons drawn, waiting to see what had interrupted them the second time. But Kai realized what it was before anyone else.

Through the cracked windows of the Ultra Sonic Jet, Lloyd spun up and out of the vehicle in his green tornado before landing in front of Aspheera, Clancee, and Char. Before Kai could get up to help him, Pythor and Cryptor grabbed him from behind, holding him in a tight grip.

The Serpentine Queen did not look impressed. "You must be the Chosen One: Grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master, son of Garmadon, nephew to the despicable Wu."

Taking his golden blade out, Lloyd stared back at her. "That's me. And you must be Aspheera: Usurper of Mambo the Fifth, power-hungry sorceress of the Vipers, sentenced to eternal imprisonment. I don't believe your sentence is up yet."

Unamused, Aspheera aimed her staff forward. "Kill him."

Clancee launched forward, his blade in-hand as it swung down. Lloyd dodged the first few attempts, then raised his blade in defense. That was his first mistake. Clancee's Anacondrai blade easily sliced through the golden one, creating a half-sword. In his shock, Lloyd made a stabbing motion towards Clancee's armor in hopes of penetrating it. That was his second mistake. The short blade bounced off of the magic-reinforced armor, blunting it. The energy that rebounded the blade put Lloyd in a confused state, causing him to lose focus. That was his third mistake.

But Kai still saw what was coming. "LLOYD, BEHIND YOU!"

The Green Ninja turned to see Char launching himself at him from behind just as Clancee did the same in front. A Buffmillion and New Anacondrai warrior did the same from the sides, surrounding Lloyd. Fortunately, he knew one thing the two of them did not. "Ninja-GOOO!" His green tornado absorbed the four bodies, and sent them flying to all sides.

"Nice try, Aspheera, but it takes more than a few cronies to peg me down. Ninja-GO!"

Kai smiled as the green tornado approached Aspheera. But the Serpentine Queen was not so easily started. "Hmm, perhaps you are right. Ninja-GO!" And to the horror of Kai, Misako, Clutch, and even the other two humans, a significantly-larger pink tornado surrounded Aspheera's body and knocked Lloyd back against the Jet.

Misako struggled through her bonds. "Lloyd!"

The pink tornado dissipated as Aspheera slithered forward, alongside Clancee and Char. "You see, Lloyd, I am no common villain. I am not a goddess, or a monster. I am the Queen of the Serpentine. And you will fear my wrath."

Sneers and hisses echoed throughout the room, as Lloyd tried - and failed - to pick himself back up. He saw hundreds of Serpentine footsoldiers emerge towards him, until they stopped dead in their tracks when their Queen held up a hand.

"But... you will know my mercy as well. There is a greater purpose you have yet to serve, Lloyd. And I would personally prefer to fight you fairly, not when your mind is so, well, _scattered._" Turning her attention to her surrounding loyalists. "Generals!"

Char, Skales, Machia, Chope, Fangtom, Eyezor'ai, Zugu, Acidicus, Kapau, and Skalidor all rushed forward and bowed. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Prepare to move out our forces!" Without another word, all of the footsoldiers and generals prepared to get in formation to head out. Pythor allowed Cryptor to hold onto Kai by himself as he went to stand alongside his Queen, and Char moved to the front of the lines with the large Anacondrai Serpent, preparing to lead them out. "Ready, company, and-"

"WAIT."

Again, all heads turned back to Aspheera, who now stared at the large Purple Serpent, thenn back at Char, who was confused. "General Char... you were the only true loyalist among the Vipers. That is why you are here, with me, in your entirety. But that doesn't mean that our fallen kinsmen cannot be a part of our New Legacy!"

Extending both of her arms to her sides, the Sorceress closed her eyes. "Arise, my brothers and sisters! Arise and serve the Serpentine cause once more, as the PYRO VIPERS!" Her staff and the Forbidden Scroll lit up as a red/purple aura shot from the blade on top and went out of the room, down into the Pyramid's level's below.

* * *

The aura sunk down the levels into the large, dead pit that was spread to lengths well beyond the actual pyramid. On the surface and across the walls were hundreds of thousands of Sarcophagi. As the aura touched each one of them, the contents within began to glow orange, until mummified fists burst through the doors of their coffins. The bodies of the Vipers were reanimated, but with dead minds to blindly follow their Queen.

At the base of the pit, hundreds of large, dead Serpents, which the Vipers rode as their "Fangs," also began to glow until fire emitted from their tail-lines. The Fire Fangs had awoken.

* * *

"_Aaaahhh._" Aspheera opened her eyes again, seeing the eager looks of her loyal enforces waiting. "I'd say that just about wraps up our time in this dead husk. General Char, lead us out of here!"

"You heard the Queen! Forward!"

Kai, Lloyd, Misako, and Clutch watched the entirety of Serpentine forces march out towards daylight, where their friends were still serving as a distraction. Eventually, the last of the forces had left, until it was just them, Aspheera, Pythor, Clancee, and the three non-serpentine captors.

"Well, chaps, this has certainly been a treat. Oh, Lloyd, I cannot wait to see you next time. What fun!" Lloyd managed to get up on his side to stare directly back at the King. "F...f... Fuck you, Pythor."

"Tut, tut. My Queen, shall we join our forces?" He made a polite gesture towards the entryway.

"Certainly, My King. Commander Clancee, take us down below." The green Half-breed nodded slightly, leading her and Pythor out. Leaving the Ninja and their friends in the hands of Cryptor.

The Nindroid General threw Kai to the ground, kicking him in the side to insure he wouldn't immediately get back up. "Heh. Y'know, I do want _so badly _to kill you too, Green one. But the Serpentine Queen is right. You can't die, just yet. And the rest of you... well, you just aren't worth my time. But **YOU.**"

He grabbed Kai by the shoulder with one hand and picked him off of the ground, pointing at Zane's carcass. "I want **YOU **to tell Pixal that I did it." Lloyd looked to see where he was pointing, and gasped in shock. He didn't even notice Zane's body was there the whole time. "NO!"

"Shut up." Cryptor threw Kai into Lloyd. "Ronin, Mechanic, let's go! We don't want to be left behind." Turning to run out, he didn't notice the weary looks of the two humans as Ronin muttered under his breath. "Yeah, cuz' who'd want to miss _this _party?"

* * *

Outside the Pyramid walls, the last of the Dark Army footsoldiers fell to the ground, defeated. Karloff looked around and raised his large fists in the air. "We did it! We haff won!" The other Elemental Masters cheered in their victory, but Dareth noticed the uneasy looks of Nya and Cole.

"What is it guys?"

"Nothing, but... that was too easy."

"You call **that** easy?" Their heads spun around to Skylor, who had a huge smile on her face. "That took our combined powers to hold them off, and fromwhat Kai has told me, they are most likely only a fraction of the Dark Army forces. It's a good thing we are all here."

Then the ground shook. Elemental Masters looked around, confused. Dark Army soldiers picked themselves out of the sand and did the same. Until Nya saw several lights coming from the Pyramid entrance. _Torches._

"Serpentine!" As she said it, hundreds of thousands of Serpentine soldiers from all branches and tribes marched out and around the Ninja and their allies, lead by a single Black-scaled Viper on fire, riding a large Anacondrai Serpent.

The Serpentine helped their allies get up from their defeat. Knuckal's body picked his head up and screwed it on so he could see their new allies. "Oh, WOW! But, erm, how are we getting everyone out of here?"

The black Pyro Viper chuckled. "Wait for it..." Within seconds, another wave of rumbling followed, but this time, as it got louder and closer, the air seemed to get warmer. All heads turned back to the Pyramid, and out of the side entrances came hundreds of large Serpents on fire, with a leading one carrying Pythor, a Golden Viper Nya could only guess was Aspheera, and a Green Serpentine soldier. Behind them were hundreds of thousands reanimated Pyro Viper mummies., all of whom got onto the backs of the army of large Serpents.

"Let's go, everyone! These are our tickets out of here!" Every soldier without a ride climbed onto a small Fire Fang, and the pilots and drivers of the remaining functional vehicles hopped on and started their engines. Pythor stared at Dareth, Nya, and Cole, making a mock-salute motion before their Serpent raced forward.

"YEE-HAW!"

"WHOOP WHOOP!"

"WAHOOOOOOO!" The jants and cheers rang as the armada took off, heading into a sandstorm Aspheera created to cover their tracks, until only a single Biker was left. "What's he waiting for?"

Dareth's question was answered as General Cryptor and two humans ran from the Pyramid's entrance and hopped on the back of the bike. "GO!" The biker nodded and raced into the sandstorm, leaving the Ninja and Elemental Master's in a state of Confusion.

_Oh, no. _Nya ran towards the Pyramid. "KAI! ZANE!"

* * *

In the streets of Ninjago City Square, the Commissioner and his men were on high alert at the warning from Cyrus Borg, gun's aimed in the sky, ready for anything. "C'mon, you bastards. Make your move."

* * *

In the control room of Borg Tower, students ran back and forth in urgency as the alarm blared, computers made calculations, and Pixal stood frozen. Cyrus looked to Mystake for support, who only looked down before staring out the window into the darkened sky.

* * *

In the clouds, a very agitated Anacondrai Clouse fiddled with his hands as he paced back and forth, annoying Harumi and Garmadon. "We have been up in these clouds for almost two days, Garmadon! What are we waiting for?!"

The Dark Lord opened his red eyes from meditation, and extended one arm forward out the open doorway of the gunship. "That."

Clouse and Harumi ran to see what he meant. Hundreds of feet away from them, sparks ignited out of thin air, just as they had before. "It's happening again."

* * *

The Commissioner called for attention towards the sky. "Ready, men! It's happening again!"

* * *

Mystake created a hush throughout the control room as she gasped. "Oh no... It's happening again."

* * *

The trio in the gunship saw a portal once again form in the skyline, only now, something was different. This one was slightly larger, and it seemed more stable. Furthermore, it had already lasted over five seconds, which was how long the first portal did before collapsing in on itself.

But that wasn't what caught Garmadon's attention. Although hundreds of feet away from the portal, he noticed a figure standing in it. The movement of the figure seemed familiar as it approached.

"No... It couldn't be..."

Harumi looked to her Master. "Couldn't be what, my Lord?" Garmadon shook his head and stood up. "Nothing! Now stand back. It's about to happen."

The two did as instructed, and looked towards the portal to see that the figured shape of a person griped in shock. Peering closely, they could see as a dark blue-and-red light rammed through the chest area, causing the figure to collapse to it's side.

But the light got bigger until they noticed it wasn't a blue-and-red light.

"Look out, LIGHTNING!" The two jumped to the sides of the ship, as Garmadon extended all four arms, embracing the impact of the now entirely red bolt of lightning. "YES. YES! DARK POWER! CALLED UPON FROM FORCES UNKNOWN!" The Lightning made it's way into the palms of Garmadon's hands, until the veins on his arms glowed red.

The three looked back out to the portal, which once again began to collapse. But this time, all three could see the shadowy figure pick himself up, and a glowing pair of yellow eyes stared directly at them as a deep, cackling laugh barked out, echoing through the air as the portal closed in on itself once again.

After several moments of listening to the echoes of dark laughter, Harumi approached the glowing Garmadon. "My... Lord, what was that?"

Breathing heavily, the Dark Lord panted through each segment. "That... Quiet One... was a gift to US. The time is almost upon us."

* * *

At the encampment at the top of the Golden Peaks, Krux and Acronix relished in the wave of power that washed over them. "Krux, the time is almost upon us."

* * *

Onboard a trader ship, within his imprisonment in the Teapot of Tyrahn, the voice of Nadakhan the Pirate Djinn chuckled. "Hm, hm hm, the time is almost upon us."

* * *

In the darkness of the Cursed Realm, Morro opened his eyes and smirked towards his fellow ghosts, calling upon the wind. "Finally! The time is almost upon us!"

* * *

In the bleak desert of the First Realm, the Iron Baron stuck his blade into an eye socket of the four-headed dragon his men just killed. "Yes, the time is almost upon us."

* * *

At the top of the Ice Mountain of the Never-Realm, Vex snickered at the sight of Grimfax's castle. "Soon, you will see. The time is almost upon us."

* * *

In a dark space, devoid of any true life, the Purple eyes of Omega looked to his legions of doom-bringers. "ONI, THE TIME IS ALMOST UPON US!'

* * *

**THERE. WE GO! First chapter of the new decade, and this is one I was really excited about. Please comment privately to me if you know whose yellow eyes those were in the portal, AND PLEASE write a comment or review.**

**I will update as soon as I can!**


	13. What Happened?

**I own nothing.**

**Chapter 13: What Happened?**

* * *

Nya ran through the halls of the Pyramid frantically, looking for any sign of her brother and friends. The Dark Army left little trace of their presence, taking most of the torches and removing all the weaponry and tools they had brought with them. she ran down a long spiraling staircase as she called out for her brother. "KAI?! Where are you?!"

Down the large dark corridor which she now stood in, at which a small source of light could be seen, Kai's voice weakly responded: "Over here Nya."

She ran as fast as she could down the hallway, the dim light growing with every step, until the entire horrific scene was illuminated in front of her, to her immediate regret. Misako was supporting Clutch up from the ground, who was clutching onto his eye socket. Nya noticed the blood oozing through the palm of his hand. To the room's side, she saw Kai and Lloyd crouching on the ground around the broken pieces of Zane's body.

"W-w-what... happened?"

Kai couldn't bear to look at her in his anguish. Lloyd stared up at her with tears in his eyes. "We failed."

From behind, she heard a large clutter of footsteps approaching. The others had followed her inside, but didn't dare turn around. She could practically sense the other's shock as they saw what she was seeing. Misako, on the other hand, looked up as she stood with Clutch's arm around her shoulder for support, approaching them.

"Let's bring him home, everyone. Zane deserves as much."

* * *

The Sons of Garmadon generals and Time Twins stood at the base of the New Temple at the epicenter of the Golden Peaks encampment. While Ultra Violet and Killow in particular were not fond of taking orders from anyone besides Harumi or Garmadon, Mr. E showed no irritation with the Quiet One's instructions.

After he and his fellow bikers returned from their attacks on the Elemental Masters, he checked in on their prisoners.

The Emperor and Empress of Ninjago sat in their drudgery within their makeshift cell. The two Nindroid guards nodded at his approach, recognizing a fellow Nindroid as they allowed him to step up to the bars so that he could see the deposed rulers in the limelight. As he had expected, they looked desparate and out of their element. The other two prisoners that the Time Twins brought, on the other hand, were so stubborn he didn't even bother to check up on them before going up to the Temple.

Krux nodded at his approach. "Ah, Mr. E. Good. Lord Garmadon and the Sorcerers are about to arrive back from the city." On que, the five of them heard the sound of a Nindroid Gunship dropping down from the sky. Even before it landed and he got out, Lord Garmadon could clearly be seen from the open side door as the veins in his arms were glowing red.

"Lord Garmadon! Welcome back. Our operations here have continued without interruption, and we have received word from King Pythor that their forces are returning from the Pyramid, with a significant addition of allies. And I can see from Clouse that the spell worked for Chen's cultists. I am positive that they will prove themse-"

"And the prisoners?"

Acronix paused for a moment, clearly not prepared for the question. "Erm, they are still alive, my Lord."

"Good. I sense our allies from the Desert are approaching fast. In fact, they will be here..." The fast approaching **rumble **of hundreds of serpents, several vehicles, and a few airships coming up the mountain indicated their approach. "...now." The Dark Lord turned to the incoming Serpents, without any look of surprise on his face. Everyone else was a different case.

Harumi, Killow, and the Time Twins all stared at the Fire Fangs in shock. Clouse slithered forward towards his Serpent with a large smile on his face. The surrounding Dark Army members that stayed at the encampment walked forward in awe at their new fellow soldiers.

But Mr. E didn't care about any of that. He analyzed the vehicle taking up the rear, which General Cryptor jumped off of. The Nindroid General walked forward to his subordinates in a boasting manner, and gave the Biker General a mocking wink. Agitated and curious, he walked towards the group of Nindroids.

"...so now we have one more Ninja off of the board!" The roar of laughter echoed by the Nindroids only put Mr. E on edge as he pushed them out of their way. **"Ereh no gniog si tahw?" **

"Ah, Mr. E. It seems, despite whatever promises you were given by The Quiet One, that you missed your chance."

Under the red visor, Mr. E's narrow eyes widened. _No. NO. **NO!**_

"Yes, Mr. E. I killed Zane. Now, come on, boys! Lord Garmadon wants us to make the newcomers feel welcome!" Accompanied by his entourage, Cryptor left E standing alone at the edge of the camp, staring into the clouds. _NO! Damn you Cryptor!_

He took out his twin red blades and starting slicing at the air in a rage, before stopping to stare in the direction of Ninjago City. _And damn you, Zane. __You were supposed to die by **my **hand._

* * *

Several hours had passed before the Ninja and their allies managed to get back to the City. The DBX and _Destiny's Shadow _entered the city, driving through the empy streets. Cole noticed immediately how almost nobody was outdoors, besides a few cops on each block. "What the hell happened here?"

Dareth looked to the DBX's computers. "Police have ordered everyone off the streets. It looks like another portal opened."

In the back of the DBX, Misako and Nya were treating Kai, Lloyd, and Clutch, who all lay down on the vehicle's floor. With Kai's help, they managed to cauterize Clutch's eye, which was by far the worst of their injuries. The explorer was only semi-conscious, while Kai and Lloyd were fully awake and firmly aware of the situation. The Red Ninja stood up and approached the front of the vehicle towards the front. "What did you say?"

Dareth stood up from his seat, blocking his way. "You need to rest, Kai." The Red Ninja shook his head and looked to the screen in front of them. "What was that about a portal?"

Sighing, Dareth decided to explain. "Before we received the alert that the Dark Army was approaching the Pyramid, Cole, Nya, Pixal and myself responded to some sort of temporal alert that Borg's Early Emergency System picked up. Before long, some sort of small portal appeared over the City Square, but only for a few moments before it collapsed in on itself."

Kai, Lloyd, and Misako all had wide eyes from the news. "And another one appeared?!"

Dareth nodded. "It appears so, Lloyd. And based on the high alerts I'm seeing, I think..." His long pause put everyone else on edge. "You think what, Dareth?!"

"I think something came out of it this time."

A long silence followed before Skylor's voice came in from the computer. _"Where are we going, guys?"_

"To Borg tower, Skylor. There, we will get more answers."

* * *

"Red lightning? That's what came out of the portal?" Ash's question was echoed through the minds of all the other Elemental Master's and Ninja as they stood in the Central room of Borg Tower, where Borg, Mystake, the Commissioner, and the students had explained the preceding events. Pixal, on the other hand, was somewhere else in the tower in her grief at the sight of Zane's parts.

The Commissioner nodded. "Yes, that's what I said. The portal opened, and after a few moments of it expanding, a massive bolt of red lightning blasted through and up in the clouds. Then the portal collapsed in on itself."

Cyrus Borg wheeled forward towards the room's main computer. "But that's not all. After the System alerted us of another portal, I had the scanners prepared to analyze the frequency in which the portal originated. Unfortunately, it collapsed before I could get a full readout, but I managed to decrypt the first half of the frequency and trace the energy signature."

Skylor looked to both ends of the room to see if anyone knew what he meant. "And that means?"

"*Sigh*" Pressing a few buttons, he summoned images of the portal to the room's main screen so everyone could see it. "It means that now, we have the groundwork laid out for us to create a synthetic portal, without the realm crystal. Now, there's no telling how long it would take, it could be years! But it's a start."

"Wait, but what did you mean by _energy signature_? I thought we were already able to detect anomoly's without them."

"True, Lloyd, but I wanted to analyze the signature and compare it to every known signature in our database, in hopes of discovering who was behind the portal. And after an analysis, I have found TWO matches." He pressed a few more keys into the system, then everyone gasped at what, and who, appeared on the screen. "Is... that...?"

"Yes, Dareth. The energy signature of the portal matches those originating from the Dark Island, and _The Overlord." _The students clamored in fear, the Elemental Masters had looks of confusion, and the Ninja stamored in shock.

"How? We've patroled the Dark Island a dozen times over, have satellites keeping an eye on it 24/7, and erased every trace of the Overlord's presence there! And he's back in his depleted state! If he got out, we'd know!"

"Yes, all of those are true, Kai. I don't think this portal actually came from either of them, but they each share one thing. The portal was somehow powered by a form of Dark Matter."

* * *

Pixal couldn't bear the sight of Zane's parts. Upon her first gaze of them, she ran down towards the production line within the tower, now ironically the quietest place in the building. She was currently crouched on the floor by the control panels, crying.

"Zane... why? Why did you do it?" Based on Kai's description of what happened when he sent her the message of his defeat by Cryptor's hands, she knew what Zane's plan was: To attempt to bargain with the Serpentine Queen by handing himself over as an exchange for Clutch and Misako. But that never came to fruition before the Nindroid General's ego kicked in.

She would never experience compatibility like she had again with Zane, despite the obvious gaps of advanced machinery between them. Their relationship was on a more symbiotic level of trust and understanding, which is what freed her from the Overlord's control of her initially. "And now you're gone."

**BEEEP.**

She almost jumped at the sudden indicator that the computer screen had turned on. _By itself? _The screen jumbled to life, with flashes of blueprints displaying themselves all over the monitors. A static voice played from the speaker.

"zzt- No one's ever really gone. -zzt" Her eyes widened at the sound of the voice.

The lights over the production line also began to flicker to life, before the actual moving pieces did their job. Within seconds, the entire factory room was in action, smelting pieces of titanium and molding them into shapes before adding circuitry to them.

"I don't believe it..." Overhead, Pixal heard the door slide open, where she saw everyone enter to see what was happening, Cyrus leading them. "Pixal, what is going on?"

With a huge smile on her face, she extended her arm to point towards the scene before them. Now the pieces from each line were being picked up and wired together, forming a pair of titanium legs. Then a torso. Then the arms. Until finally, a distinctly-shaped head was placed on top, which opened its glowing blue eyes and smiled.

"Hello, Pixal. Are we compatible now?"

* * *

**PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT, QUESTION, OR REVIEW!**


	14. Ninjago's Darkness

**Hey guys! PLEASE leave comments or questions after each chapter! ALSO, READ "****A Knights Journey****," which is a pair-up with this story.**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

* * *

Processing what had just happened wasn't easy. Zane stood there, in front of everyone in a new Titanium body, smiling as if nothing had happened; as if he hadn't died in front of Kai.

Needless to say, it was overwhelming to everyone as there were mixed yells of celebration, questions, and overzealous energy. The students were jumping up and down, Mystake, Clutch, and Misako smiled in a relaxed relief, the Elemental Master's cheered, and the Ninja embraced Zane in his new form. "ZANE! How are you back? How did you pull this off?"

Zane stepped back to hold Pixal's hand before facing his friends. "Well, Cole, when we manually went within the Digital Overlord's world all that time ago, I had left an imprint of myself within these systems. An imprint I was entirely unaware of, until it awoke when my body's life source went offline. It took me several hours to fully understand what had happened..."

He walked forward towards the computer screen and brought the images of his blueprints back on-screen. "Cryptor had stabbed me through the back, then everything went black. I re-awoke in utter darkness, which soon took form as the Digital Ninjago world. Logic dictated what had happened. Going through old files in my backup memory, I discovered my Father's designs for me, of which there were oddly _two_ versions, and made my own advancements on them to create Zane: The Titanium Ninja."

Lloyd chuckled as he looked at Zane's full form once more. "Well, might I say you look amazing!" Opening his arms, he walked forward and hugged Zane. Under his breath, in a voice so low only Zane could hear him, he whispered "I don't know what I would have done if I lost another brother."

The collective team of mentors, students, Elemental Masters, and ninja had felt whole again, and they were ready to face their next challenge. Each of them was ecstatic to have Zane back, knowing they were strong together.

Except for two.

* * *

The Dark Lord meditated in the isolated darkness within his temple, reflecting on recent developments. Chen's faction becoming the New Anacondrai has secured their loyalty. The Pyro Vipers added more muscle to the Dark Army without the need for food or rest. To Garmadon, this was a pure victory, along with the demise of one more Ninja.

_Speaking of which... _"Spy. I call to you."

**_"Yes, my lord?" _**The spies voice could only be heard in his head, but it felt as if it surrounded him throughout the temple. Garmadon had used Dark Magic to communicate with his agent in Borg Tower, because he hadn't yet met Chen's spy, so he didn't fully trust her. "How is Skylor upholding her job with the Elemental Masters?"

**_"The Master of Amber has secured their loyalty, and as I am sure Chen would tell you, she has effectively managed to copy all of their powers and place them within the staff of Power, including your son when he was at the Cloud Kingdom."_**

"Yes. With the exception of Fire and Ice, we have every element copied now, which is more than enough for our plan to continue when the time comes."

**_"But what about the element of Lightning? With the death of Jay Walker..."_**

"Don't you worry, I have already obtained a substitute. Soon all will be ready."

A few moments of silenced lapsed as the spy came to a conclusion. **_"The portal. Of course! You're doing, I assume?"_**

Even though the spy couldn't see him, Garmadon snarled under his breath at the comment. "That is hardly your concern! I have reached out to you for a report on the Ninja. How broken up are they over the death of Zane Julien?"

**_"...Erm, about that, My Lord..."_**

* * *

The New Temple doors burst open as an enraged Garmadon walked out, all four fists glowing orange as if to visually represent his anger. "CRYPTOR!" Nindroids all turned towards the Dark Lord. Serpentine, Bikers, and Skulkin all moved out of Garmadon's line of sight so that he was staring directly at General Cryptor.

From the side, Mr. E approached The Quiet One at Garmadon's side, curious to see what had sparked such anger. Now standing only 20 feet from The Dark Lord, Cryptor stepped forward nervously. "Y-yes, my Lord?"

Calling upon his Oni abilities, Garmadon raised his upper right hand, forcing Cryptor off the ground to float in midair. "I have just received intelligence from my spy. The Ninja of Ice is NOT DEAD! How could you not have planned for a contingency?!" Mr. E looked to The Quiet One in surprise, who nodded with a smirk. "I told you, it's your kill to have."

Cryptor's eyes widened in fear. "My Lord... he is an outdated relic... this is unprecedented! It is imposs-"

"RRRRAAA!" Cryptor's body flew straight down, crashing into the stone of the mountain. "Do not speak to me of the impossible! I AM the impossible! WE are the impossible!" He turned around, walking back up towards the temple as the Dark Army forces watched Cryptor picked himself up.

"Zane lives! The seed of Ninja's perseverance lives. And as long as it does, hope lives in Ninjago." His glowing eyes darted back at Cryptor. "I had hoped you would be the one to snuff it out. But you are nothing but a cheap copy in a mask."

Mr. E felt a bit of a sting to that last part. He stared down at his hands, making a rapid motion back and forth to test his speed. _Unlike me, I'm anything but cheap._

* * *

By nightfall, the city seemed as if it was back to normal. From the top of Borg Tower, Lloyd sat on the ledge overlooking the city lights, reflecting on recent developments. All of the people looked like ants from such a height.

The Commissioner called off the emergency state in the City, due to Cyrus coming to the conclusion that another portal appearing was highly unlikely.

Mystake had made the suggestion taking the remains of his grandfather to rest with Wu at the foot of the Monastery's entrance tomorrow.

As expected, Clutch Power's eye is beyond healing, and he refused any magical help from Mystake, coming to the inevitable decision to wear an eye patch. Furthermore, he agreed to stay on with the Ninja in their fight against the Dark Army.

Zane's short death sparked severe dismay, but his rebirth seems to have reverted all negative thoughts, while at the same time sparking a new one for Lloyd.

"Trouble sleeping?" He turned top see his mother approaching him from the stairwell. Clearly, she was concerned. "You took quite the beatings from Aspheera today. I thought you'd be resting."

Lloyd sighed and smiled as she sat down next to him. "Heh, no. WAY too much to process from the last couple of days."

Misako put her hand on her sons shoulder. "Well, I am your mother. Tell me."

He continued to stare down at the city streets, then turned his head in the direction of the empty Palace currently in reconstruction. "...Well, for starters, my grandfather's resting place was desecrated. The Realm Crystal and Scrolls of Forbidden Spinjitzu are in the hands of the Dark Army. Kai was attacked by the Bikers, as if they were tracking him. And now the ENTIRE serpentine culture has joined forces against us! But then..."

"What is it Lloyd?"

"Something one of them said when I was in the Cloud Kingdom. They told me that "Garmadon wanted me alive," as if he was very specific about it. But I saw his eyes that day Jay died; that creature is not my father, not anymore."

"Perhaps a piece of him persists. We can't be sure."

"But that's just it, Mom. Princess Harumi used the Oni Masks to bring back only his dark half. So what does it all mean?" Tears started to form in his eyes, and he embraced her in a hug.

Misako hugged him back, doing her best to put him at ease. "I don't know Lloyd, but I know this: we must appreciate even the smallest of victories. We may have the Crystal or Forbidden scrolls, but we have the Scroll of Airjitzu, which we can put to use immediately. Clutch may have lost an eye, but it could have been much worse. Furthermore, Zane didn't die!"

Lloyd let go of her so that he could see her face. "I know, but... I feel so selfish, and I know I shouldn't. My uncle is dead. My father has been irreversibly transformed back into a monster of Darkness. Ed and Edna were murdered. Jay gave his life to defeat the Overlord. None of them are coming back, so why does Zane?"

"Fate works mysteriously, Lloyd. Perhaps we may never get a definite answer. But I believe that he, like the rest of us, has unfinished business he must settle before he can move on to the Departed Realm."

* * *

Across Ninjago, Garmadon overlooked his forces. "Everyone." The soldiers and their leaders turned towards him at the Temple's footsteps. "I thank you for your patience. We have survived here this long strictly due to the fact that the only beings who knew of this location were my father, my brother, and myself. We have taken little action over the last six months. But now..."

He extended his arms and opened his fists, lighting every torch with a purple fire. "NOW, we get to work!" Swords, knives, and an additional assortment of weapons were raised high in the air, accompanied by a cheer.

"Ronin, if you please." The mercenary walked forward, with a small box in his hands. The Mechanic watched him step-by-step, sweating from nervousness. Once Ronin was in front of him, he extended his arms to offer Garmadon the box.

The Dark Lord was not impressed. "General Kozu, please teach our friend some manners."

As if out of nowhere, the Stone Army General walked up from behind and kicked Ronin in his left leg, casing him to fall into a kneeling position. "Much better. Thank you, General. Now then…" He picked up the Crystal and waved Ronin off dismissively, who limped into the crowd. Once he was out of sight, Garmadon opened the box and raised it's contents in the air, causing Clancee to gasp with joy.

"The Teapot of Tyrahn! The personal prison to the Great Djinn Nadakhan, Prince of Djinjago, Captain to the Pirate Raiders of _Misfortune's Keep_. Now, the ship has long since sunk in the caves it was kept in, but thanks to our mercenary and Mechanic, we have salvaged its parts and reclaimed the Teapot from a trade ship. Clancee, would you do the honors?"

The green warrior walked forward with glee. "It would be my honor, my Lord." Garmadon handed him the Teapot, which he insistently rubbed. To Ronin and the Mechanic's surprise, it was true: an orange smoke emerged, taking the shape of an orange four-armed Djinn.

"Aaaahhh. Finally, fresh air. Ah, Clancee!" The Djinn floated forward, inspecting his crew member's new form. "Well done, my friend. You look good." The Seepentine grinned and nodded before speaking.

"Captain Nadakhan, I wish for you to be free from your ties to this Teapot." A few yellow sparkes surrounded them both, before the trail of smoke that connected him to the Teapot dissipated. "HA! Thank you, Clancee! Thank you!"

"Nadakhan." The Djinn turned towards the deep voice that spoke his name. "Garmadon."

"You understand our situation?"

"Most certainly. The Dark Army wishes an alliance of forces to create a lasting order. As a pirate, I should protest." He turned back to Clancee, then to the other Serpentine behind him. "But as a Djinn and a Captain, I understand the necessity of standing by one's people. My forces will join you. But I need my crew and help to rebuild my ship."

Garmadon grinned. "That shouldn't be an issue, Captain. We have quite the skilled Mechanic, whose skillset is only rivaled by that of Monkey Wrench, not to mention a number of Skulkin and Sons of Garmadon engineers who would be more then happy to add modifications. As for your crew..."

He reached behind his back and took out the Realm Crystal, and spoke with a louder volume so that everyone would hear him.

"My father's Realm Crystal. Capable of taking us across the realms. This, my friends, is our next step forward. We will move camp to the Underworld, where will have the time and space to continue preparations."

One biker stepped forward. "What of the Temple, my Lord?"

"Like I said, no one knows of this location but myself. We will leave it here until our Final phase comes into effect. But that won't be for some time. We will operate from the Underworld. Our forces will build up further! First, we will find and collect Nadakhan's crew and Modernize _Misfortune's Keep_. We will free our allies in the Cursed Realm. Aspheera and Chen will travel to the Never-Realm and enlist the aid of a new player of the Great Game. Once we are ready, we will return to engage in the Final phase."

The soldiers of separate factions nodded, pleased with the plan.

"This will take time. Years, in fact, which is why I have already sent several Skulkin ahead to set up camp. Prepare yourselves." He raised the crystal in the air once more, this time summoning a portal overhead. The small circle rapidly grew to the entire circumference of the encampment, until it began to vacuum them up. Vehicles were sucked up first, followed by the Fire Fangs and the Anacondrai Serpent. Then, Dark Army forces starting jumping up into the portal.

"Wahoo!"

"Next stop: The Underworld!"

"Skulkin central!"

Ronin looked to the Mechanic in fear. This was not a part of their contract. "Hey, wait-" It was too late, the portal sucked them both up too, until Garmadon was left standing with alone Mr. E.

"Don't you worry, we will be back. And you will have your vengeance." The Nindroid nodded, and they were both sucked in, blinking out of Ninjago, leaving an empty Temple at the top of the Golden Peaks.

END OF PART ONE

* * *

**WHEW! This is the halfway point, at least story-wise. We are roughly at the halfway point chapter-wise. MAJOR time skip coming up.**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**


	15. Restless

**HERE IT IS! THREE CHAPTERS IN A WEEK. Feels good! Please be sure to leave a review.**

**SHOUTOUT TO e2007! Thanks for the review!**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Restless**

***Over Five Years Later***

Ninjago had experienced an unbridled peace for more than five years now. Under the guidance and leadership of the Ninja, the reconstruction of the city was completed ahead of schedule. Opportunity, trade, and the economy boosted throughout the land. Properly fusing the approaches of Borg technology with more ancient approaches to everyday services, Zane saw that Ninjago was safer than ever. Now, the greatest dangers anyone faced was traffic.

With the Commissioner's forces given full police power, the worst of Ninjago's criminals that were not aligned with the Dark Army were quickly locked up in Kryptarium. Rogue thugs, muggers, tax-evaders took up almost the entire prison population. The only exception was the Pirate Captain Soto and his crew.

The First Spinjitzu Master's remains were buried under the tree where Wu was cremated. In hopes of preservation, Lloyd charged Pixal and Nya with keeping tabs on the Monastary whenever possible. Furthermore, when the dust settled after the Battle of the Pyramid, the Ninja erected three connected statues of Jay, Ed, and Edna made from the very Metals of their Junkyard and placed them within their home's center. Now, the Walker Junkyard has been labeled as sacred ground, not to be desecrated by anyone.

As they promised, Clutch and the Elemental Master's stayed with the Ninja, both as students to learn and mentors to teach the younger students their own fighting techniques. With the Scroll of Airjitzu, Lloyd had effectively trained the entire population of Borg Tower the arts of both Spinjitzu and Airjitzu. Furthermore, with the guidance of LLoyd, Mystake, and Misako, Nya mastered the Element of Water.

The students that began their training as children were now teenagers, and the Ninja who began their own journey under Wu over eight years ago were now full-fledged adults, leading not only a mini-army of Masters of Spinjitzu, Airjitzu, and Elements, but also the entire realm of Ninjago through its unprecedented era of peace. Everything was right with the world.

And that's why they knew it was wrong.

Tactically, the Dark Army's move made no sense. After what could be considered a MAJOR victory on their part at the Battle of the Pyramid, they disappear completely. Several theories were in rotation as to why they hadn't returned:

\- One, that Aspheera attempted a coup against Garmadon and upon failing, caused the complete breakdown of the Dark Army, forcing them into hiding without their unified might.

\- Two, that the sheer number of mouths to feed lead to infighting amongst their forces, leading to the same result of breaking ties.

\- Three, that one faction stole the Realm Crystal and fled, leading Garmadon and the rest of his forces to use some sort of dark magic to chase them, and they won't return until they are back at full strength.

But Mystake had helped Lloyd realize the almost definite truth: That they are using the Realm Crystal to hide from them. _But why? Why wait all this time..._

_"_Sensei Lloyd?" Looking up from his meditation, Lloyd turned his head towards Gene. The green Ninja, now dressed in Sensei garb reminiscent of Wu's but with a green outline, motioned for his friend to come in. "What is it Gene?"

"Well... they've been calling again."

Lloyd sighed. On top of everything else to be stressed about, the parents of the former Darkeley's students have been hounding the Ninja to return their children. At first it started as a minor nuisance, but after a couple of years, they banded together to form a minor political movement to "free their children." It's been making him restless.

Fortunately, the Court recognized the student's decision to stay with the Ninja, but Gene's parents were persistent. He, on the other hand, was doing everything in his power to ignore them.

"Did you at least answer the phone and talk to them directly?"

"I've tried that. They seem to be convinced there is a _Master of Hypnosis_ making me say these things." Gene clearly was not thrilled his parents did not trust him, and was even less thrilled at the prospect of being taken away from the Tower. "I can't leave Sensei. I can't."

"Don't you worry, Gene, I won't let them take you. Now, go join the other students for you afternoon training with Karloff and Ash. I believe they intend to help you learn to fight what you cannot see." The ginger-haired boy nodded with a bow, running down to the Tower's training room.

Having lost his earlier train of thought, Lloyd pressed on his communication watch. "This is Lloyd. Is the _Land Bounty_ ready, Pixal?" Both Nya and Pixal, with Borg's designs, managed to finally rebuild the _Destiny's Bounty_, but this time as an on-road vehicle with a secondary jet attached.

The android's calm voice took a moment before responding. "_Affirmative, Lloyd. Who will be joining us?"_

"Besides you and me, it will be my mom, Mystake, Dareth, Kai, and Zane. Borg and the Elemental Master's will hold the fort here."

_"What about Nya and Cole?"_

"They already left. We'll meet them there."

_"Copy." _She switched off to make the final preparations for the trip. After all, it was a big day.

It was exactly six years ago that Jay and Wu died.

* * *

"Well, here we are." Cole and Nya took their personal motorcycles into the Sea of Sand. Well kept, the junkyard was renamed the "Walker Yard," in honor of the family that had resided there since its original establishment by Ed and Edna.

Nya never managed to shake the regret she felt when she thought of how she had gone behind Jay's back, resulting in his parents deaths. It was impossible to ignore every time she came here to pay her respects. "Alright, Cole. I need a few moments alone."

Her boyfriend nodded, completely understandingly. "Of course. I'll wait for the others out here." Cole was once Jay's best friend, but since he and Nya were discovered on that fateful day, he never felt more out of place in the Walker Yard. That didn't help Nya with her own guilt; in fact, it made her restless. But she was still glad to be with him. They have been going strong for six years now.

"Thanks, Cole." Walking though the entrance, it was immediate to the water Ninja that some sand-rats have been rummaging through the piles of junk. Although Jay was recognized as one of Ninjago's greatest saviors, few every took the time to travel all the way out here to pay their respects.

Besides the few pieces of discarded junk that lay between the mountains, everything else was the exact same: the junkpiles had kept their shape, Ed and Edna's trailer maintained its own version of cleanliness thanks to the new groundskeeper, a house-cleaning droid Nya built by Jay's designs simply called "H-7," and in the center of the yard, in front of the largest mountain where the Walker's ashes were scattered, three extremely large statues stood in place.

The massive Walker statues were built to overlook the Walker Yard. Only slightly taller than the tallest junk mountain, and reminiscent of the giant robot the Fangpyre corrupted to attack the Ninja all those years ago, these statues were significantly larger and given much more detail. Even after the waning years of hear, anyone could tell who was who: Ed and Edna were on each side, smiling while looking up, while Jay's statue stood in the center between them wearing his civilian clothes and a laugh on his face.

Nya hiked up the mountain, thinking about everything that's changed since Jay's sacrifice: the recruitment of students and Elemental Master's alike, the Dark Army's disappearance, Zane's rebirth, and the years of peace that followed. All because Jay was brave enough to give his life to save them.

Arriving at the top of the mountain, Nya could see how the clear blue sky directly contrasted, yet complimented, the plain yellow desert. The serenity of bleakness was beautiful in its own way. _OK, Nya, you're strong... You can do this..._

Taking out a letter from her pocket, the Master of Water breathed heavily before speaking to the ghosts of her past. "Hi, Jay. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Walker."

The blank silence that followed was deafening to Nya as she unfolded the letter. "I know I haven't been here in a while... I'm sorry. But we have been keeping our promise to you; Ninjago has retained its peace. Even petty crime is at an all-time low, heh heh..."

She did her best not to muffle her words. "I... I don't know if you can hear me from the Departed Realm... I don't know if you ever have. But I enjoy these talks, because they give me the closure I was to scared to get in life. I thought that everything was behind us; that we were ready for a new chapter where your burden could finally be lufted from your shoulders, even in death, but now..."

Gulping heavily, she stared down at the paper. "I have one more thing I wanted to share with you, even if you already know it. I know Jay is adopted. His father was Cliff Gordon, the movie actor for Fritz Donnegan. His mother was the previous Master of Lightning, a woman by the name of Libby. She died in childbirth, and cliff felt he wasn't fit enough to be the loving father Jay needed."

Tears began to form. "He had somehow learned about your desire to adopt a child, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, but you couldn't afford it. So after doing some background research, he knew that you would be fit to raise him. This letter that I'm holding was sent to us only last week, after his death. It told us all this, and that he was too afraid to meet us in person in life. But he wrote that he has visited here before, so perhaps you all already knew."

_Breathe, Nya. You can do this..._ "Jay... I have caused you so much pain. Everything I have done since that day here, in the junk yard, I have done to right the wrongs I committed. But... I still love Cole. He still means so much to me, and I know he feels the pain that I do when he thinks of what we did. I hope you can forgive him, even in death."

Even though she received no answer, the burden of the guilt she had felt lighter after confessing. She turned at the distant sound of an engine, seeing the _Land Bounty _make its way towards them. Redirecting her attention to the view of the statues, she smiled through tears. "Thank you, Jay."

* * *

The Underworld was vibrant. Since the Dark Army made it their base of operations, it's population had grown beyond precedence. The Skulkin, who were the most familiar with the landscape, created the necessary space for the realm's growing list of new occupants.

Lord Garmadon re-established the Dark Fortress as his personal palace. The prisoners were kept within the fortress prison, out of contact from anyone except their feeders. The throne room held the necessary place for the Golden Armor, Realm Crystal, and Sensei Yang's portrait. Everything else collected from Ronin and the Mechanic remained locked within the New Temple.

The Dark Lord spent the majority of the past five years operating straight from the Throne Room, using his Generals and faction leaders as proxies to relay his orders. With the aid of Sensei Yang, who he eventually managed to free from the Portrait thanks to the Quiet One, Clouse, and Aspheera, Lord Garmadon breached the barrier between their realm and the Departed realm, albeit for only a few moments.

More than enough time for him to retrieve the one General he was still missing: Samukai.

The return of the original Skulkin leader helped ease the tensions created when the Dark Army made the Underworld their new base of operations. after being resurrected, the four-armed Skulkin swore his complete allegiance to Garmadon.

And that was only the first of many additions to the Dark Army during their time in the Underworld. Using the Realm Crystal, Garmadon ordered the Cursed Realm to be opened. It wasn't easy at first, but they managed to establish a permanent doorway between the Underworld and Cursed Realm, giving the leader of the ghost army, Morro, easy access from the Preeminent into the Underworld. He was already caught up with the plan, as were the rest of the cursed souls. Soul-archer even agreed that Ronin's debt was settled.

With the Realm Crystal no longer needed for the ghosts, Garmadon had it passed to Nadakhan. After about a years work, the Djinn and Clancee located and retrieved every crewmember of the _Misfortune's Keep_. Some, such as Flintlocke, were less than happy to be a part of an actual army. But their captain managed to help them see the bigger picture.

With the combined brains of the Skulkin, the Mechanic, and Monkey Wrench, the _Misfortune's Keep _was rebuilt as a sky-pirate ship. Larger than it's original model, the ship was meant to be the next step up form the _Destiny's Bounty_. The Skulkin also designed hundreds of one-man Pirate fighters and Raid Zeppelin's, adding to the Dark Army's fleet to outdo any amount of sky-vehicles the Ninja may have.

After the Sky Pirates were all welcomed into the fold, Garmadon personally undertook the mission into the First Realm. Allying himself with the Iron Baron, the Dark Lord spent a year with the Dragon Hunters. Dragon after dragon, he slowly earned the trust of the white-skinned cyborg until together, they found the Firstbourne Dragon.

In all his years, Lord Garmadon never felt as much joy as he did when he killed the gargantuan red dragon, and took his father's sword and armor as trophies.

Once they had extinguished the last of the dragons, Garmadon brought the Iron Baron's forces back to the underworld, where he assigned them, the Skulkin, and Monkey Wrench to a special project.

The latest use of the Realm Crystal had started over three years ago. Under the Dark Lord's orders, Aspheera and Chen took the crystal, as well as a second staff and Forbidden Scroll of Spinjitzu, to lead a small expeditionary force into the uncharted Never-Realm, with The Quiet One joining them to ensure that they don't try anything.

Without the Realm Crystal, The Dark Army was left isolated within the Underworld and the Cursed Realm, where Garmadon had sent the Dragon Hunters, Skulkin, and Monkey Wrench to work on the special project. Nadakhan was the only source of food, conjuring it whenever it was needed.

But today was different. He sensed it. "They are coming. Nadakhan! Mr. E! Samukai!" The Djinn teleported in front of the throne, with the Nindroid and Skulkin at his sides. "Yes, Lord Garmadon?"

"The next shift in the game is almost upon us. Prepare everyone for new arrivals. A lot of them." The three bowed out of respect, though Nadakhan looked a little stressed. "Does this mean I should prepare more food?"

"Only enough for our expeditionary team. The new arrivals will not be needing them." Out of curiosity, Samukai tilted his head. "More undead?"

"Something along those lines, my friend. Now go." The three were teleported back out by Nadakhan, relaying his orders. Once alone again, the Dark Lord looked over to the Golden Armor, placed on a pedestal next to the Dragon Armor and Dragon Blade.

_Wu was always your favorite. Always your prodigy. But now, father... _He picked up the blade from its pedestal and analyzed it in his glowing hands. _Now I am the only one left! _

Raising the blade in the air, a purple aura surrounded the handle, slowly converting its color from gold to black, and the bone within the blade began to turn purple. **_AND I WILL SUCCEED WHERE YOU FAILED! _**

*Outside the Dark Fortress*

Ronin watched as Mr. E order the closest soldiers about, silently yet menacingly. He could also see Samukai and Nadakhan doing the same at separate points, ordering each soldier to make space in the center before the Dark Fortress. Overhead, several Pirate jets and Raid Zeppelins flew with Blade-copters and Rattlecopters. Even the ghosts flew in a frenzy to follow the orders, signifying the importance of whatever was about to happen.

Although he was grateful for his debts being forgotten by soul-archer, the mercenary felt as though he simply traded one life-sentence for another. "What do ya think is going on?" He turned his head to see The Mechanic approaching from the side, referring to the frenzy of soldiers moving from the center.

"I'm not sure, but I heard the Djinn say something about "it almost being time," or something like that..."

"You don't think he means... time to go home?" It was no secret that The Mechanic yearned to return back to Ninjago, and to be honest, Ronin felt the same way. "I can't say for sure, but I think we need to be-"

"LOOK!" The familiar shriek of Bansha brought their attention to the cleared center, where a small spark appeared. The doors to the Dark Fortress opened, revealing one Lord Garmadon marching forward towards the empty center. Ronin hissed in a breath, realizing what was about to happen. _Oh boy..._

Surely enough, a blue-black portal took shape in the center. Everyone backed up, surprised at the supposedly unannounced arrival. All except Garmadon, who obviously sensed it coming. "BACK UP!"

Harumi jumped out of the portal first, shivering in place as she bowed to Garmadon. "M-my Lord."

"Welcome back, Quiet One. I presume it was a success, then?" Even from a distance, Harumi's wicked smile sent shivers down Ronin's spine. "S-see for y-yourself, My Lord."

After a moment, Aspheera, Chen, several Pyro-Vipers and Anacondrai jumped out of the portal as well. Garamdon quickly noticed that none of them held the second Forbidden Scroll. "Well?"

Aspheera chuckled as she motioned for the others to move away from the portal. "Lord Garmadon, may I be the first to present General Vex, Ice Master of the Blizzard Samurai!" On que, an icy-skinned man in grey samurai armor stepped out of the portal, a scepter in hand with the second Scroll attached. He continues to walk forward as he was flanked by hundreds upon hundreds of Blizzard Samurai.

As they continued out of the portal, Aspheera explained their process to Garmadon. "Apologies for the wait, My Lord. After we permanently transferred the element of Ice into Vex, I spent a rather long time training him to master the element itself, as well as the art of Spinjitzu. Only then did we build this army, **exterminate** the Formlings, and take control of the Never-Realm. It is now officially the territory of the Dark Army!"

Vex approached Garmadon and knelt down. "My Lord, it is an honor to serve."

"Rise Vex. You have done well!" He turned towards the larger crowd, raising his voice so all could hear him. "EVERYONE! The time to return is dawning ahead. You have been patient, but the wait is almost over! Rest up tonight, for tomorrow, we will strike back!"

* * *

**YES, LET'S DO THIS! Three chapters in one week! Please leave a comment or review letting me know how you feel about the story (what you like, constructive criticism, etc.) **

**R&R**


	16. The Dark Army Strikes Back

**Thanks for the reviews guys! I appreciate the support!**

**To answer one question, I have no plans for flashbacks regarding Jaya or Nya x Cole (I'm a Jaya fan actually), but I plan on one-shots in the eventual future.**

**This is a shorter, but extremely important chapter!**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Dark Army Strikes Back**

The _Land Bounty _was hardly the fastest vehicle the Ninja had in their hangar, but it was among the most spacious to hold everyone. Nya and Cole were both waiting at the entrance of the Walker Yard when it pulled up front. One by one, the group walked out from the ramp onto the course sand. Lloyd, Misako, Mystake, Dareth, Zane, Pixal, and Kai had solemn looks on their faces.

Despite the severe heat, which was considered average weather for the Sea of Sand, everyone came fully dressed in their Ninja Gi or respective gear in honor of their fallen brother. Since learning Airjitzu, the Ninja have updated their Gi to reflect their accomplishment **(the Ninja now wear Skybound uniforms, including Dareth and** **Pixal.) **Of course, Kai seemed least of all bothered by the heat, yet he still retained the tamed expression.

"Hey sis. How long have ya' been here?"

"Only about an hour, Kai. Nothing to fret about. Come on, let's pay our respects as a family."

* * *

Within the halls of Borg Tower, daily training had just ended. Several of the Elemental Master's were in the control room with Cyrus, keeping watch over Ninjago with a distant eye. Others patrolled the streets with a few select students handpicked for trial missions. The rest of the Elemental Masters and students were either socializing in the gameroom or in their own quarters.

Lord Garmadon's faithful spy of over five years was one of the latter.

Once within their own confined quarters, away from any prying eyes, the spy knelt on their knees for meditation, calling out to the Dark Lord through a cold sweat. "Lord Garmadon, do you hear me?"

**_Yes._**

_Whew, finally! _"The Ninja have left the tower. All of them! They have gone to pay their respects to their fallen brother and mentor. Now is the perfect time to strike!"

_**Do**** not fret, my loyal spy. The time is almost upon us.**_

"I know not to question you, my Lord, but you have been saying that for years! Besides, Misako is catching onto me!"

_**And what makes you think that?**_

"My guess is that ever since the Battle of the Pyramid, she knew that there was a spy in the Tower. But she kept the thoughts hidden to herself, because she didn't know who to trust, what with there being a mind-reader in the group. However, when I snuck in her quarters the other night, she was talking in her sleep about 'finding the spy.'"

_**Does she have any reason to suspect you? **_Garmadon's voice stung with a hint of anger.

"N-not at all, my Lord! But she won't be able to hold onto this secret forever, and when she eventually tells Lloyd... I will be exposed."

_**Hmmm... then we will have to prevent that from happening, won't we?**_

* * *

The team had spent the better half of the afternoon in the Walker Yard. Without the use of Airjitzu, they traveled up the mountain to see the highest point of the Yard, just as Nya had done earlier. One by one, they had all given there own words to Jay.

Mystake. "Master of Lightning, your actions will be written in our histories forever."

Kai. "Thank you, blue-bird."

Zane. "You are gone, brother, but I promise you are not forgotten."

Pixal. "Even after all of this time, your legacy is still being determined. But it is in good hands."

Cole. "You would be proud, Jay. I hope so, at least."

Nya. "I'm sorry. I miss you all..."

Misako. "The students miss you, Jay... We all do."

Lloyd. "Life's just not the same without you... Nobody can ever make anyone else smile as you could. I'll always miss that, Jay. But it brings me solace to think you are at peace now. Until the next life, brother."

After his words, Lloyd took out the small group of hand-picked deep blue violets, setting them down on the mountaintop. "Until the next life."

Despite H-7's spot-on job keeping the place well kept, Lloyd insisted on them staying to clean up any stray junk that wasn't in a pile, to which no one objected. Afterwards, they walked back to their vehicles in preparation for their next stop, though once they got to the entrance of the Walker Yard, Lloyd turned around to face his friends.

"I know thank coming here every year is not easy. I know..." He choked back tears through his words. "I know we are always filled with regret when we think of Jay, and what he did to save us. But I meant what I said. I truly believe he is in a better place now, and I know that he would want us to know that to. I know that if he were here, now, he would tell us how proud he is."

Though sad, the young Sensei's words did bring smiles to their faces.

"Now, let's go to the Monastery."

* * *

In direct contrast with their ceremonious way of honoring Jay, not a word was spoken when they honored Sensei Wu's memory. He was always a man of few words, as was the First Spinjitzu Master, though they had to take Mystake's word for it.

Unlike the Walker Yard, which was technically public for all, the old Monastery was considered too sacred for anyone outside the permission of the Ninja. Thus, their group consisted of the only souls that ever visited the area. Every year when they came together, Mystake brought hand-picked white Camellius leaves, the leaves used in the favorite tea of both the departed father and son.

As the had for every year since Wu's death, the group stood at the foot of the Monastery entrance until sunset, when they were granted permission to speak again.

"The sun has set, Lloyd." Dareth looked over to the young Sensei, who had spent the better portion of their time there meditating. "Oh, so it has. Alright, then, everyone. Let's head on down."

Everyone filed suit, treading down the long staircase one-by-one until it was just Kai, Mystake, and Misako. The two older women had stayed put as everyone else made their way down, catching Kai's attention. "Are you coming?"

"We will be down momentarily, Master of Fire."

Kai shrugged, not bothering to hurry after the others as he walked slowly down the steps. Once she believed he was out of sight, Misako turned to face Mystake. "I don't know how to move on. All this time, I have been hunting, searching for clues, Mystake. But what if I have been paranoid? What if the spy I thought existed was just a worker, who left after we brought the Elemental Masters?"

The old woman chuckled. "You don't believe that. You want to, for your son's sake, but you don't. Nor should you. The Dark Army will eventually return, Misako, and when they do-"

A deep-accented voice from behind them interrupted her. "_You won't be ready._"

* * *

Only about 20 steps down, Kai was still close enough to hear the scream of Misako come from the top of the stairway. Lighting up his fist, he quickly looked down to see if anyone else heard it, but they were too far ahead he didn't see them.

"I'm coming, Misako!" Using Airjitzu, the Red Ninja flew up, just in time to see a cloud of orange smoke dissipate, leaving no trace of Misako or Mystake. "Guys? Where are you?"

"_They are right here._" He swiveled around to see a four armed genie with orange skin and pirate gear grab him, before they both _poofed _into orange smoke.

When they re-_poofed, _Kai was grabbed by a couple of pirates and immediately thrown to the ground, unable to get up before a vengestone chain was locked onto his ankle. "ARGH, NO!"

The thick accent of the genie chuckled with amusement. "Hm, hm, hm, yes Kai. As I'm sure you know, this chain will keep you from using those pesky powers of yours. After all, I wouldn't want them to distract you from **the show.**" Gesturing to their surroundings, Kai looked to see where they were:

They were standing on a flying pirate ship, soaring through the clouds alongside hundreds of one-man fighters and raid-zeppelins just above the Monastery, out of sight from the Ninja down below. It was considerably larger than the _Destiny's Bounty, _crewed by thousands of Pirates. One of whom he recognized: The venomari-anacondrai hybrid from the Pyramid, who was now holding an unconscious Mystake and chained-up Misako.

The pirate genie floated up to Kai's face, bringing him back to his attention. "Welcome, Master of Fire, to the _Misfortune's Keep_! Tonight is your lucky night, for you get to bear witness to the first act that will ignite the glorious return of the Dark Army!"

He was speechless for a second. "You... you're in the Dark Army?"

"Don't believe me? How about we prove ourselves to this doubter? What say you, men?" Across the fleet, cries of approval echoed as the genie gave Kai a sly look. "Now where to strike, where to strike..."

Kai's heart was pounding incessantly as he realized what was about to happen. The genie noticed his profuse sweating as he peered over the side of the ship, towards the Monastery.

"Hm, hm hm. Oh, now THAT would be fun! But alas, there is the risk of killing the Green one, and Garmadon wants him alive." Closing his eyes, the genie began to nod, as if he was communicating with someone telepathically. "Yes, my Lord. Brilliant! At once." He opened his eyes and turned back to Kai and Misako.

"Well, this is your lucky day, I won't be ordering a strike on the Monastery."

The two sighed with relief at his mercy.

"Instead..." He took out the Realm Crystal from his side, aiming it forward to create a vortex that sucked the entire fleet into. When they all emerged out the other end, Kai looked down to realize it was not a mercy at all.

"Instead... I think we will strike at the Walker Yard. Flintlocke?"

"_-zzt- All ships and cannons are ready, Captain Nadakhan! - zzt-"_

"Then strike, my men. Leave nothing left!"

"NO!"

* * *

Coming out of the Walker Family Trailer at the alert of a large number of incoming ships appearing out of nowhere, H-7 looked up from the peaceful life of cleaning to see a fleet of pirate jets and Zeppelins coming right towards him.

It was the last thing the cleaning robot ever saw before a hellfire of cannon-balls and missiles eradicated what was once the quiet home of Ed, Edna, and Jay Walker.

* * *

**WOW. This one was emotional. I've been thinking about how I was going to write this one for a long time, it feels good to finally get it out there. **

**PLEASE review, letting me know how you are liking the story so far!**

**AND PLEASE READ "A Knight's Journey," in which the first SIX chapters take place before this story! **


	17. Preparations

**I am so excited to be getting more and more chapters done! Please keep leaving reviews and questions if you have any!**

**Once again, a slightly shorter chapter, but not skippable! NONE ARE!**

**I own nothing!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Preparations**

"NOOOOOOOO!" Kai watched in horror as the Sky Pirates continued to fire everything the had at the Walker Yard, fighting against the iron grip of the giant blue-skinned woman they called Dogshank. Misako stood petrified, tears streaming down her eyes with every explosion.

Eventually Nadakhan held a hand up, signaling the strike to end. As the smoke cleared, Kai couldn't even recognize the area anymore. The sand was scorched to glass, and what wasn't was charred black beyond the night sky. Scraps were blown to the tiniest bits, not a single piece was recognizeable or repairable. The Walker homestead was no more. "No..."

"Alright, pirates, our work is done here. It won't take long for the ninja or their friends to detect what has happened here. Let's bring it back to base, it's time we get down to the real work!"

Summoning another vortex, the Djinn turned back to Kai. "And it's also time for a little reunion..." Before the Master of Fire could ask what he meant, the flew into the Vortex, making their way back to the Dark Army's base.

* * *

"Did you guys hear that?" At the bottom of the stairway, Lloyd looked back up to see where Kai, Misako, and Mystake were. "It sounded like-"

"A portal, one that was controlled and timed." Zane interrupted, as he read his own scanner which picked up the anomaly. "Likely caused by none other than the Realm Crystal. Whomever or whatever used it is now gone. As are Kai, Misako, and Mystake!"

_Oh no. _Lloyd pointed to Dareth as they ran to their vehicles. "Call Borg, tell him to search for any other portal detections! The Dark Army has finally returned, and they've got our friends!"

Without hesitation, they rushed into the _Land Bounty, _which was now carrying Nya and Cole's cycles, and rushed straight towards Ninjago City.

* * *

The Quiet One was patient to a fault, she would be the first to admit it. She planned carefully for years under the guise as the innocent Jade Princess. She followed Lord Garmadon through the desert when the foolish Lightning Ninja killed himself to lock the Overlord away. She kept her mouth shut when he wouldn't tell her his plan. Now, she allowed her patience and loyalty to be tested to the limit when she spent the last THREE YEARS in the Never-Realm, building up an army of Blizzard Samurai.

Yet still, Lord Garmadon wouldn't allow her to kill the Emperor and Empress.

_Why? What is so valuable about them that justifies their pitiful existence now? _Knowing better than to express herself openly, she kept the calm demeanor as she screamed to herself inwardly, passing stray soldiers within the Golden Peak encampment.

Shortly after their return to the Underworld, the entire Dark Army force was relocated back to the Golden Peaks, with the Skulkin and majority of the ghosts staying behind for some operation Garmadon was keeping hidden from everyone else. Though she was ready for their return to Ninjago, as it signified that their revenge was almost upon them.

"Chen! Any word from the Djinn yet?" The New Anacondrai leader turned from his conversation with a Nindroid and a Venomari, shaking his head. "No word from Nadakhan yet, though Lord Garmadon is right over there, looking very pleased with himself. I dare say the strike was a success."

She turned towards the Temple, where the dark Lod was indeed standing with a wicked smile on his face. around him, Killow was telekinetically lifting the stone table of Resurrection from the original Temple of Resurrection, placing it in the encampment's epicenter. Afterwards, he took off the Mask of Vengeance and handed it to his Master, who was also holding the Masks of Vengeance and Hatred.

_Interesting._

"Then where-" She was interrupted mid sentence as the _Misfortune's Keep _flew out of an enlarged Realm Crystal vortex, accompanied by its vast fleet of Raid-Zeppelins and one-man fighters.

After the Djinn's capital ship slowly descended into the airfield alongside all the other airships, Nadakhan _poof_ed next to Lord Garmadon, with a large grin on his face. "Success, My Lord."

A smile on his face, Garmadon's red eyes darted towards the Djinn. "And the prisoners?" Hearing this, The Quiet One approached them out of curiosity.

"I captured and incapacitated the Oni traitor. Your wife hardly put up a fight. However, fate rewarded us with a third prisoner…" He gestured his hook hand to his approaching crew, who indeed held an unconscious Mystake, trembling Misako, and uncharacteristically quiet Kai.

"Ha! Reward, indeed." The Dark Lord placed the three Oni Masks on the stone table and approached them. "Prepare the Oni for the ritual. I want us to be ready as soon as possible! As for her..." He looked at Misako, who was pleading for mercy with her eyes. "Garmadon, it's me-"

To the horror of Kai, the Dark Lord punched his wife with both of his glowing right fists, causing her to grip onto her stomach as she knelt down. "I don't care. Quiet One, put her and the Master of Fire in the prison cell with the armorers."

She bowed her head as she grabbed the two of them by the chains, followed by a few Sky Pirates. "With pleasure, My Lord."

* * *

Brad and Nelson ran to the Command room at the alarm triggered by Karloff. The Master of Metal stood in front of the room's main screen alongside Borg, Skylor, and Gene. On the screen, a large map of Ninjago with several red dots across it took up most of the space, with Lloyd's face in the corner. "What's going on?!"

"The Dark Army has returned! They've captured Misako, Kai and Mystake! Anomaly detection picked up a vortex opening..." Borg's voice trailed off. From the screen, Lloyd's face expressed an annoyed impatience.

"WHERE? Where was the vortex detected?!"

The wheelchair-bound genius stared up from his tablet slowly to look back at him. "It opened back up at the Walker Estate. Several spikes in seismic activities indicate an attack."

Brad couldn't believe what he was hearing. "WHAT? They attacked Mr. Jay's home? Why would they?" Tears began to trail down his cheeks as Nelson hugged him by the side. Karloff pounded his fist against the nearest table, to Borg's annoyance. Lloyd was processing the news, and the other Ninja could be heard through the screen.

Gene walked up to Brad, anger and anguish in his eyes as he put a hand on his best friend's shoulder before pulling him into a hug as well. "Because they don't care. They did this because they believe their strength is their inability to feel. We win by letting them think that."

Borg returned his attention to Lloyd. "A second Vortex just appeared. I think they've already left."

"We are on our way there now! We need to see what damage was done for ourselves. If they're back in full-force, they'll likely strike somewhere else too, so keep an eye out for any other portals!"

"And what if they do?"

"Tell me first before sending anyone, and don't let any of the students leave!"

* * *

Lord Garmadon was absolutely enthralled with the plans in motion. With Mystake captured and subdued, and Misako out of the loop to inform Lloyd of his spy in the tower, just about everything was set in motion for the _grand climax. _Almost everything.

"Vex!" The Blizzard Samurai General ran forward from the crowd, scepter in hand. "My Lord?"

He placed a black glowing hand on Vex's shoulder, inviting him closer. "Captain Nadakhan has announced our presence to the Ninja. They now know we mean business. But I want you to make our presence known to Ninjago itself!"

Taken aback by the proposal, as Vex was still the newest addition to the Dark Army by 3 years, he took a moment to respond. "I am honored, my Lord. But how?"

"Well, it just so happens that the subsequent capture of Kai has inadvertently sparked an idea that will please more than one of us. I want you to take your forces across the Ninjago's Ice Tundra biome, where there are several scattered villages. Take them, and use the Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu to add the villagers to your ranks of Ice Samurai. Then, I want you to lead your forces into the Birchwood Forest, where one of my men will be waiting to signal for a portal to bring you back here."

"I-I understand, my Lord. If I may, I'd like to use this mission as a chance to test a new power."

"By all means, Vex. Summon every power you need."

*Elsewhere in the Encampment*

Kai struggled through his restraints to help Misako. "Are you ok!?" Through tears of agony, both from the physical pain and emotional, the old archeologist nodded to Kai as Flintlocke pushed her forward with his pistols.

"HEY! Knock that off!" With an agitated grunt, The Quiet One turned around as the continued walking towards the prison cells. "I would worry more about yourself, Kai. This old bag of bones doesn't have much going for her as it is!"

Though he was held back, Kai attempted to jump at her. After he was pulled back, she slugged him across the face releasing spurts of blood from his nose. This caused her to snicker. "Pathetic and foolish."

With a sneer, he spat out some blood and looked up at her, rage in his eyes. "You want to talk about foolish? How about betraying the Royal family, the family that took you in when you had no one else? Or better yet, how about _royally_ pissing off all of Ninjago by obliterating the home of it's valiant hero? Or, and here's the real kicker, summoning a portal that lead DIRECTLY to your encampment, which Borg will detect. BOOM. It doesn't matter what you do, the Ninja will know we are here soon enough."

A brief silence followed before The Quiet One turned to the Flintlocke and the other Pirate that were helping transport the prisoner. After a few seconds, they barked out laughs, putting Kai on a further edge.

"Ha! Heh, heh... You think we didn't think of that? This encampment has been here for years! Thanks to the combined sorcery of yours truly, Clouse, and the Queen Aspheera, none of Borg's technology can detect it. And the only person on your side that knew about this location was your precious Sensei Wu."

"Don't you DARE say his name!"

She chose to ignore him, walking up to the nearby cell. "You are too easy to anger. But I imagine when you see the ritual come to light, you will be too shocked to feel any other emotion. But who knows? Maybe you'll surprise me. Perhaps I can even help you ease yourself into it by giving you some _early _shock..."

With cat-like reflexes, she opened the cell door and pushed both kai and a very pained Misako into it before re-shutting it. "...With a little reunion."

The Master of Fire picked himself up and lunged at the bars, attempting to somehow break through. But as The Quiet One backed away and stared with a malicious smile, he realized she was focusing on someone _behind_ him.

"Kai?"

_IT CAN"T BE. _He turned back around to see two faces of the past. Faces that belonged to memories from another lifetime. "MOM? DAD?!"

* * *

**BOOM. I have been thinking of ways to reveal there presence as the prisoners for a while now. It was no real secret if you've seen the show, but I wanted some sort of element of surprise when Kai finally sees them.**

**ANYWAY, please review or comment. If you have any questions, I IMPLORE you to ask in a review. Thank you.**


	18. Reaping for Revenge

**HEY Y'ALL. Let's get to it. This is a bigger chapter than usual, in terms of actual content. If you have any comments or questions, please leave a review.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Reaping for Revenge**

The inhabitants of the icy tundra of Ninjago were no strangers to dangerous circumstances. The weather was unpredictable, and Treehorns migrate from Birchwood Forest sporacidally, attacking any villager in sight.

But these circumstances were beyond dangerous. At first light, the southernmost settlement heard a demonic roar. The Ice Dragon Boreal, created by Vex himself, came in and froze the villagers. Shortly thereafter, the Blizzard General and his army marched through, turning all who were frozen into new Blizzard Samurai.

"On to the next village! Come on, men!" Vex climbed onto Boreal, looking at the several dozen new Blizzard Samurai. But he could also see a shape from the far end of the village, where a single villager was running away, supposedly to alert the Ninja.

_PERFECT._

* * *

Ray and Maya, the former masters of Fire and Water, were alive. His parents were alive, and standing right in front of them. And all Kai could do was stare in disbelief. "You-You're alive?!"

"Yes, son. It's us. We'll explain everything, but right now, we need to care for Misako." Indeed, she was in need of medical attention. Both Kai and his father knelt down to pick her head up, while Maya crouched down to see the wound. "Misako, it's me, Maya. I'm going to need to see your wound."

Misako's eyes darted from side to side. she was sweating profusely, much to Kai's worry. "M-Maya? No, you're not... not... You're dead."

"It's a long story, Misako. We'll tell you later. For now, we need to see just what this is. Kai, what happened to her?"

Kai's mind was racing miles a minute as he recalled what occurred. "Um, uh... OH! Garmadon punched her! With both of his right fists. They were glowing, I think he has some sort of dark power inside him that he hit her with."

Maya nodded as she lifted up Misako's shirt to see her lower stomach. "Oh, no." The three looked to see just what exactly was causing her such pain. Right where she was punched, in her lower stomach, the skin was churning into a dark black. "Her skin... it's decaying. Rotting away."

The red ninja was beginning to hyperventilate himself. "What does that mean, Dad?"

Ray looked back up at Kai, then at a panicked Misako. "It means... she's dying."

* * *

Lloyd stood at the foot of the charred sand. Eyes wide open, he was speechless at the sight of the Dark Army's strike against the Walker Yard. Cole and the others followed suite, allowing their tears to speak for them. Everyone except Nya, who was hyperventilating.

"HOW? HOW COULD THEY DO THIS? They kidnapped your mom, my brother, Mystake, and now THIS?!"

Cole latched onto her, holding on tight and stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down. "We'll get them back, Nya. Then the Dark Army will pay. But we have to get them back first."

_BEEP BEEP! _Zane's wristwatch beeped through the following silence. "Guys..."

Through their tears, their heads turned to face him. His face expressed serious concern. "An alarm was just triggered by Borg's detection system in the icy tundra. A vortex appeared near the southernmost settlement. Apparently, a villager escaped some sort of attack from Ice zombies, using what they described as _Ice Magic._ Based on their description, I suspect it is the work of the Second Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu!"

Pixal walked up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Then we go and stop them. They can take us to the others. Otherwise, this will be for nothing."

Lloyd wiped away his stray tears through a sniffle, doing his best to look confident. "Good plan, Pixal. We'll take the _Land Bounty_ to-"

_**LLOYD.**_

To everyone else's confusion, he stopped midsentence, looking out towards the other end of the desert. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what, Lloyd?"

**_THEY CAN'T HEAR ME, LLOYD. ONLY YOU CAN. I AM SPEAKING TO YOU THROUGH DARK MAGIC, IN YOUR MIND._**

He knew whose voice it was. _Lord Garmadon._

_**THAT'S RIGHT, "SON." **_

_Don't call me that. My father is gone. He died the same day as my uncle and my best friend._

_**AND IF YOU DON'T DO AS I SAY, YOUR MOTHER WILL BE NEXT.**_

The others watched Lloyd in confusion as their young Sensei closed his eyes and spoke to his father telepathically.

_What do you want?_

**_YOU WILL COME TO ME. THE GOLDEN PEAKS OF NINJAGO, WHERE YOUR GRANDFATHER FIRST CREATED THE GOLDEN WEAPONS. GO AS SOUTH AS YOU CAN THROUGH THE SEA OF SAND. I WILL BE WAITING, AND SO WILL YOUR FRIENDS._**

And then his voice cut out. He opened his eyes and turned back to his friends. "New plan, guys. Zane, you and Pixal go and follow the army of Ice Zombies' trail. Take the _Land Bounty_'s jet. Cole, Nya, you two come with me. We are going to finish this."

* * *

Borg Tower was on complete lockdown. After Lloyd ordered no students to leave, the Elemental Master's all retreated back into the Tower as well, to keep account of everyone. Then, satellite tech quickly picked up the portal opening up in the icy tundra. Minutes later, the report from local authorities stating a villager saw ice zombies attack.

"What do we do, Borg?"

"Word just came in, Skylor. Zane just responded. He and Pixal are going to face the ice zombie threat, while Lloyd, Nya, and Cole are supposedly heading to the "Golden Peaks," where the Dark Army is encamped."

Karloff and the other Elemental Master's walked forwards. "Alone? That's insane! We need to go and help them!"

Borg shook his head in defiance. "No, we need to stay here. Lloyd knows what he is doing."

"No, he doesn't, Cyrus. He is rushing into this because his mother, mentor, and best friend were all kidnapped, and then Jay's home was obliterated. Lloyd is everything but stable right now, and is in the perfect mental condition to rush into this without thinking through it!" Skylor raised an excellent point, and Borg knew it. So did the other Elemental Masters.

"Yeah!"

"The Ninja need our help!"

"We can do it Cyrus!"

Fiddling his fingers, Borg nervously chuckled as they were teaming up against him. "Well, what about the students?"

A resounding _groan _followed the question. "Cyrus, they can take care of themselves! Besides, they'll stay safe here with you! It's the Ninja that need us, not them!" Deep down, Borg agreed with them. He knew that three ninja alone would not be enough against the Dark Army.

"*Sigh* You are right. All of you are. I was going to wait for the Ninja to return back from the ceremonies, but this opportunity is more serious..." He turned around and typed up a few command keys, bringing the screen behind him online. It displayed a full view of the Underground workshop, showcasing Borg's latest (re)creation.

"Is that-"

"The new and improved _Destiny's Bounty. _Made entirely from new parts, this new ship is 3/2 bigger than the original model, and is far faster. This was only a side project, which is why I spent so much time working on it. Even the young student Gene helped with design. That boy shows such promise."

He turned back around to Skylor, giving her the access key to the workshop. "Go! Take the Bounty and help Lloyd before he gets himself killed!"

She caught the key from his open hand and looked to the other Masters. "You heard him, to the Bounty!"

*In the air ducts above them*

"Did you hear that, Gene? They are going to help Sensei Lloyd!" Crouched in the confined space, Brad stared down through the vent as the Master's ran out of the room towards the elevator. "And they're taking the new Bounty!"

"I'm right here, Brad. I heard everything. We should go too!"

"But Sensei Lloyd said-"

"I know, but he needs us with him more than he needs us safe, he just doesn't realize it! This is our chance to prove ourselves to him! Get your gear and meet me in the garage, we'll sneak on board the ship!"

* * *

The harsh winds of Birchwood Forest were nothing to Vex and the Blizzard Samurai, even as he rode through them on Boreal. "This way, men! I can see our ally!"

What was at first hundreds of Blizzard Samurai turned to thousands within hours. Although small, there were several dozen settlements within the enclosed icy tundra biome. After he had completed his work their, Vex followed Garmadon's next set of orders: To march towards the biome into Birchwood Forest at the given coordinates.

Now that he had done so, he saw what the Dark Lord meant by "his man would be waiting." In the middle of an opening of trees stood the quiet biker General Mr. E, who didn't even flinch when Boreal landed inches away from him.

"Mr. E! My army has done just as ordered. I understand you will be bringing us back to the encampment now?"

Dreary silence followed before the black-clad biker pressed a button on his helmet, opening a communication line. "Devirra ev'yeht."

In front of both of them sparks began to pop up, until another vortex formed, large enough to fit Boreal and his army. Vex turned back to Mr. E, who pointed at the portal. "Very well, then. Army, march!"

* * *

The elevator door in the underground workshop _ding_ed open, revealing a rushed Paleman hurrying after the other 11 Elemental Masters boarding the new _Bounty_. "Guys! Wait up!" From the helm, Skylor looked over too see him approaching. "Come on Paleman! As soon as we have the rocket's calibrated, we are heading out! How long do you need Karlof?"

At the back of the ship, the Master of Metal was working on the computer systems. "Ehm, about five minutes!"

Unbeknownst to them, Gene was crouching down behind the large pile of crates next to the airduct, watching them prepare the ship. "Come on, Brad, where are you?"

"Right here buddy." The ginger almost pounced from surprise as he watched Brad emerge from the air duct in his black Ninja outfit. "Excellent, now let's-" A loud _thud _interrupted Gene, focusing his attention on an additional student come out in his own purple ninja outfit. "Nelson?!"

"Yeah, you didn't think we would miss out on a chance to prove myself to Sensei Lloyd?"

"That's not the poi- wait, _we_?" As Nelson got to his feet, he helped another student in black get out of the air duct. Then another, and another. They kept on coming out one at a time, as Gene stared at Bad in disbelief. Brad had brought all 100+ students with them, going against the idea of a "stealthy mission." But his friend simply shrugged.

"What? The more the better. Besides, I heard Borg, the ship is 3/2 bigger than the original, and you helped design it. You know that we can stowaway in the hull."

Gene could tell Brad was not going to give up on this, and neither were any of the others. "*Sigh* Ok, we can board through the back. Hurry!"

As each student hopped on board, the overhead hatch on top of the ship opened up and the engines began to heat up. From the wheel, Karlof's voice boomed "Ready for liftoff!"

"Launch!" On Skylor's command, the _Destiny's Bounty _took off towards the Golden Peaks, with 12 Elemental Masters and over 100 teenage students as stowaways in the hull.

* * *

"That's the seventh settlement, Zane!" Using the _Land Bounty_'s jet, the two nindroids followed the path from the first tundra settlement to the next. Then the next. Then the next. With every village they passed, the trail of marching footsteps grew. And every scene at each village was the same: scattered footsteps indicating panic, then nothing. No damage to the structures, no signs of weapons being drawn for battle.

"I know Pixal. But we have to keep following them. If we can get the Scroll back from this Ice Zombie general, maybe I could undo its affects on the villagers."

_**BEEP BEEP!**_ "Not again! Another portal was detected near here. It looks like we've lost them, Zane."

The Master of Ice hit the dashboard out of frustration, before coming back to his cool demeanor. "We may as well check the area the portal came from for any clues. Where was the portal detected exactly?"

"Right, Bearing 6.52 miles northwest from here, same direction at the trail, at a regional height of 0.38 miles above sea level, coordinates show..." Her voice trailed off as she blinked, as if needing to readjust her eyes to confirm.

"Where, Pixal?"

She turned to look her boyfriend in the eyes. "Coordinates show the portal was detected in the center of Birchwood Forest. They were at your original home."

*10 Minutes Later*

"There!" Through the icy wind, both Pixal and Zane could see the black figure standing outside the door to Dr. Julien's hidden workshop. As Pixal landed the craft in the large opening, Zane opened the top hatch and climbed on top, looking down at the approaching Dark Army warrior.

"It's the Sons of Garmadon general; the one they call Mr. E."

As the jet set itself into the snow, Zane jumped off of the craft. As he began to walk forward, he saw that the doorframe to Julien's workshop was damaged; the Sons of Garmadon general desecrated his fathers home. His grip on his shurikens tightened as he began to walk at a faster pace, to Pixal's annoyance.

"Wait, Zane! We'll take him together. You go left, I'll go-"

"I'll take him now!"

"No, Zane, No!" But it was too late; he had rushed into full combat mode. He threw both shurikens at the biker, who unsheathed his red swords with lightning-fast reflexes to block them. "HRRM!" Out of frustration, Zane spun into a white tornado towards him.

Mr. E was fully engaged now. As the Ice tornado sped towards him, he looked to his side to see Pixal approach from another angle. Under the helmet, he snickered. "Ajnin hsiloof!"

To the surprise of both Nindroids, Mr. E created his own red tornado of Spinjitzu, and rammed it straight into Zane. Caught off guard, the white Ninja flew in the air until he collided with Pixal.

"*Groan,* What language is he speaking?"

"I believe he is speaking English, Zane. But his helmet is distorting his voice and phrasing the statements backwards. He said _'Foolish Ninja!'_" Zane picked himself up and helped her to her feet, looking at Mr. E as the red tornado dissipated, leaving the biker glaring at them both with his swords out.

Pixal unsheathed her second Katana and handed it to Zane. "This time we'll take him together." He nodded in agreement. "I was about to say that."

The pair walked to both sides, circling the SoG general. They both noticed how he was focused more on Zane, which Pixal used to her advantage. As his head was turned away from her, she used airjitzu to fly overhead and swing down at his chest. Fortunately, she landed a blow.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much other than disorient him for a moment. This gave her just enough to land in front of him and notice the sparks coming from the gash the blow made. _Oh my._

"Zane... He's a Nindroid!" She attempted another swing at his chest, but he was too fast the second time. Kneeling down to avoid the blade, Mr. E kicked her back into the tree. Zane could tell that hurt from her. "Pixal!"

Mr. E pointed one of his blades at her sunken form in defiance. "Em llik ot eno eht eb ll'uoy ekil!" Zane quickly analyzed the stamen. _Hmm. "Like you'll be the one to kill me." _"Hey! Over here!"

The biker turned to focus his sights on the Master of Ice. His already slim eyes narrowed further as he ran forward, both swords ready to strike. Zane managed to block the first blow. He dodged the second. When the biker attempted a third swing, he grabbed his torso and used Airjitzu to fly them both in the air.

"Y'know, without your cronies, or that Oni mask... you really aren't much of an adversary." Before he could react, Zane let him go, plummeting him into the 50 foot drop until he landed headfirst into the ground.

As he landed back down, Zane looked up to see Mr. E attempting to get up from the impact several feet away from him, with Pixal coming up behind him, ready to strike with her sword if he tried anything. Quickly grabbing his shuriken off the ground, the Master of Ice stood up and approached the biker, who's red visor on his helmet was cracked from the impact.

Pixal rushed to pick up his two red swords before he could grab them, forcing him to look up at Zane. "Time to talk. Who are you?"

"Crsh.. ma I..." The helmet cracked further down. His voice began to distort further, as if the damage to the helmet was reverting it back to his original state. "**Crsh… I-I-I-I** **am**-I am..."

He slowly lifted his gloved hands up to lift off the helmet. As he did, Pixal circled around next to Zane so she could see his face as he did. The sparks in the biker's chest became more violent as his arm lifted further, until the helmet came off.

Resulting in a shared resounding gasp from both Zane and Pixal.

Under the mask of Mr. E was an obscured face of Zane. Modeled similar to his Titanium form, the doppelganger's metal was brown and slightly rusted, indicating old age. Instead of blue, his eyes were a malicious yellow, staring daggers up at them both.

"I am you. But you can call me _Echo, _brother."

* * *

**Did anyone catch this chapter's Star Wars reference?**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	19. Echo Zane, The Monster

**Hey guys! This chapter is very different from the others, it primarily focuses on one character!**

**PLEASE REVIEW.**

**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to FireWriter316! I love and appreciate your support, hang in there for more chapters and resolved conflicts. _Please_ know that what you read has been planned for a long time :)**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Echo Zane, the Monster**

*A Long Time Ago*

Utter blackness was all he could see. But he could hear so much, even though he didn't understand what any of it was or meant:

Gears moving.

The sound of waves crashing against a nearby shore.

Seagulls squawking.

Footsteps approaching.

Until finally, the first voice he could hear: "Wake up, Zane."

As if it was involuntary, the blackness opened up to the sight of an old man in a lab coat smiling down on him. "Wake up, Zane. I am your father."

"My... father?" The rusty android slowly picked himself up from the operating table, scanning his surroundings. They were in a basement, surrounded by stone walls and gears of all sizes hanging on them. One wall had an opening hall that lead upwards, out of which a small golden robot wheeled forward with a beep. The old man, his father, followed Zane's gaze to the little one with a chuckle.

"That's Tai-D, Zane. I suppose he is your brother." The statement confused Zane. "How can he be my brother? He is a..." As he pointed to Tai-D, he noticed his arm. It wasn't one of flesh. His voice also had a mechanical ring to it. Almost instinctively, he followed the trail of his arm to his chest, and almost let out a scream.

His chest was a mechanical panel, wide open with gears showing. "Father, what is going on?! What's happening? I don't understand!"

"It's alright, Zane! It's alright." He put his hands on Zane's chest, closing the panel as he guided him to his feet. "You are no ordinary being. You are extraordinary. Follow me, son." With Tai-D leading them up, the two walked up the hallway into the greater structure: Zane could tell it was a tower of some sort, with flights of stairs leading to the top.

"Watch your step now, Zane. I want to show you something." Once they arrived to the top, he could clearly see everything:

They were in a small lighthouse, on a miniscule island. Nothing but water as far as the eye could see. Zane turned to see his father groan as he sat himself down. "Father... may I ask you a question?"

Picking up a cup of tea from Tai-D, he looked up towards him. "Of course, son. What is your query?"

"What is my purpose?"

A dead silence followed. Even the crash of the small waves against the stone walls of the lighthouse seemed deafening to Zane as his father looked somberly into his tea, dep in thought for an appropriate answer.

"You... You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves, Zane."

This answer brought a smile to his face. "Like you, father?"

"Ha! Yes, I suppose so, son." The old man stood up and walked towards the empty windowsill next to him. Although he was smiling. Zane could tell that he wasn't entirely happy. Almost like a sixth sense. "Father, what is wrong. Why are we in this lighthouse?"

"Well, Zane... There are bad people in this world. Bad beings. Some of them brought me back from my rest to employ my genius, but I refused. As a result, they marooned me here, all alone."

"But you aren't alone, father! You have me!" Doing his best, he put a bright smile on his face, loosening the screws and causing the faceplate to fall off. The sight triggered a laugh from the old man. "Heh heh, yes, I have you. And you will have me until my end."

"Truly, father?"

"I promise, son."

* * *

Years passed on the lighthouse. Zane had done everything in his ability to make life easier for Dr. Julien. He took the risk of angering the leviathan by going out to fish. He helped cook meals with Tai-D, who eventually learned to understand. He even did his best to fix any inventions that occasionally malfunctioned.

But he couldn't fix himself. It didn't take Julien's high IQ to notice the second Zane's inferior designs were unable to sustain itself with the limited gears he had at his disposal. Constant upkeep was required to keep Zane from noticing his deteriorating state.

One stormy day, however, the damage to his leg-gears and voice box required a complete tune-up.

"*Sigh* Come on, Zane. Let's get you downstairs so I can see the problem." Though old, Dr. Julien was surprisingly capable at carrying the limp-legged android down the flights of stairs into the basement. And although Zane was unable to respond, the smile on his face expressed gratitude.

"Tai-D, I can do this on my own. You go back upstairs and re-charge." With a nod, the small robot rolled back towards the stairs as the old man placed Zane on the table. Taking out a small flashlight, he opened his chest panel to see the extent of the voice box damage.

"Ooh, this requires an entirely new gear, I'm afraid Zane. I can probably shape one, but it will take some time. In the meantime, you just relax right here, alright?" Without hesitation, Zane nodded and closed his eyes to rest as his father did his handiwork.

Minutes turned to hours as his father used his makeshift tools to build the gear according to his blueprints. Due to his old age, it took him far longer than he would have wanted. Eventually the storm moved away, leaving a clear blue sky.

And an incredibly loud CRASH, shaking the foundation of the tower. Gears fell off of the wall. Zane opened his eyes in alarm, but was unable to move off the table without flopping onto the floor. Dr. Julien rushed to the window to see what caused the quake. "Some sort of ship. Looks like they've crashed from the storm." He turned to put his overcoat back on, pointing to Zane. "Stay here, Zane. I will see who it is."

As he left the room, Zane heard the secret stone doorway shut behind him. After a few minutes, he heard a muffled yell. It was his father, but the tone wasn't one of panic or fear. He sounded... happy. Even though he couldn't tell what he was saying, Zane could tell he was happy.

More voices. Like Zane was at that moment, their tones hinted at confusion. Then shock. Eventually, he heard several pairs of footsteps enter the tower, making their way up the staircases. _Father, what about me?_

The next day felt like torture. Unable to move or make any noise without defying his father's orders, Zane sat their confused as he heard conversing continue above him. The voices eventually made their way back outside, including that of his father. Based on the exterior noises, it sounded like they were repairing damages to their crashed ship.

_Good, then they can leave me and my father alone._

But it was not to be. To his dismay, he heard the sound of the leviathan screeching, then the screams of others, including his father. Finally, out of fear for his father, Zane picked himself up off of the table using just his arms and crawled towards the window. Rock by rock, he climbed up the wall until his line of sight met the windows edge.

And he never forgot what he saw next. The leviathan's long arm reaching out of the sea, three eyes staring up at a floating pirate ship. The ship itself was attached to a massive helium blimp made from the blankets of the tower. Focusing his sights on the ship, Zane stared quizzically at several strangely dressed teenagers in brightly colored outfits. The one in blue was standing next to a girl in a red kimono with short black hair. The ones in black, red, and green were standing beside two old people with a straw hat and an archeologist outfit.

But it was the last two that made Zane gasp inaudibly. His father was on the floating ship two, hugging the teenager in white. When the young man turned to face his friends, Zane got a perfect look at his face.

It was him. Next to his father was another Zane, but in flesh. His mouth was moving clearly now. The android zoomed in with his vision to read leaps.

"_Because no one deserves to be imprisoned. Not even a monster." _Then the fleshy Zane hugged his father, and the ship's engines ignited, causing them to take off. In one foul swoop, Zane was left abandoned.

Hyperventilating, the android stared in the nearby mirror at his broken reflection. Tai-D made his way into the room, beeping with surprise. "BEEP BEEP: What are you doing, Zane?"

_They left me... He left me._

"BEEP BEEP: You should get yourself back on the table, Zane. Father will fix you right up."

That was the last straw. In pure anger, Zane grabbed Tai-D and smashed him against the ground, crushing his head's neural processor. Then he hurled the broken body into the mirror, shattering it instantly. He watched as Tai-D's eyes faded to black, leaving him to stare at the shattered remains of both him and the mirror.

_If not even a monster deserves imprisonment, "Zane"... Then I'm worse than any monster you know._

* * *

He spent the next few weeks slowly repairing himself. With nothing but his arms to crawl him around at first, he took time to fix his legs. Once those were repaired, he needed to use the blueprints left behind by his father to fix his voicebox.

And that's when things began to make sense.

It was apparent that the blueprint's designs were based on a far more advanced model than he was. An layer of skin as an exoskeleton was even included in the original design. Based on this revelation, Zane came to the conclusion that his fleshy twin was the original, and he was just a copy.

No, not even a copy. Something twisted. An echo. _Echo. _The word had a nice ring to it.

Once his voicebox was fixed, he took out all his frustration on his surroundings. He trashed the basement. He punched the oven at the tower's top until it was flattened down. He threw the table out into the ocean. But as he watched the table fly down into the water, he noticed an approaching speedboat. At the boat's helm was a girl with bleached white hair waving at him. "HELLO! You are the android Zane?

_Hmmm. _"I am Echo Zane. What do you want?"

"To come inside, and offer you something you've never had before."

Zane tilted his head quizzically. "And just what is that?"

"Belonging, Echo." The girl's tone indicated sincerity. "Come inside."

The girl walked up the stone staircase towards the door. Behind her was another girl, dressed in purple biker gear and cackling maniacally. At the rear-end of the line was an enlarge man who shared the cackling girl's skin tone and clothing design, but with an orange hue. All three made their way inside. though the big man needed to break the doorway to fit. "Ooh, sorry about that."

Echo Zane simply shrugged. "I don't care. Now, what is it you were saying about belonging? And who are you?"

"I am Harumi, the adopted princess of Ninjago. This is Ultra Violet and Killow. We are like you, Echo: Abandoned, left behind in the ruins of the Ninja. I can tell you are confused by our presence. Perhaps _this_ will help." She reached into her pocket and took out a hard drive. "I am going to put this in your head. Don't move for a second."

Despite his suspicions, he did as instructed. After hearing a small _click, _a series of images flashed in his head, each containing rich stories.

The creation of Ninjago.

The First Spinjitzu Master and his two Sons.

Garmadon's Oni side.

The Serpentine Wars.

Lord Garmadon's attempts of conquest.

The attack of the Great Devourer.

_THE NINJA._

Garmadon's "redemption."

Harumi creating her own organization, the Son's of Garmadon.

The death of Dr. Julien, and Harumi discovering his journal leading her to this Tower.

"So you see, Echo. We are just like you. The Ninja are the cause of our pain, uniting us in our hatred. You have been wronged as well forgotten and left to waste. And yet, you survive. Because you are fierce, you are a survivor, Echo. And now, you can be one of us: A Son of Garmadon." Killow showed him a bag, in which he took out a black and red biker's uniform and helmet.

"What do you say, Echo?"

The android grinned as he picked up the helmet, staring at his malicious reflection. "I'm in. But if we are to do this, I'd want to shed this identity entirely. Start anew. Call me... Mr. E."

* * *

*NOW*

"...and that, dear brother, is my origin story." Echo knelt in the snow, still staring daggers at Zane as both he and Pixal aimed their weapons at him to keep him from moving. "You took everything from me when Father left."

Zane couldn't believe it. All this time, Echo was misguided by the Dark forces he was fighting. Echo killed for those forces. All because he was abandoned by their father.

_No. He was abandoned by me. _"Brother... I am sorry."

"You're _SORRY? _Sorry that, what, I was left alone? Sorry that I was made a lesser version of you? Or, and here's my favorite, sorry that I have become everything you could not? I am better than you in every way."

Pixal heard enough of his gloating. "You're wrong. Zane is pure, uncorrupted and just. Besides, if you are better, why isn't he the one on his knees? You have been twisted by your own jealousy." The evil Nindroid chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her. "And whose fault is that? I was abandoned by your hubby here before you were even programmed! Don't lecture me like you know my struggle."

With concerned looks on their faces, Zane and Pixal exchanged a brief look at one another. "Brother, you are right. But we can help you now. Help us understand."

Echo lowered his eyes and stared down at the gash pixal had made in his chest. Fluids began to leak onto the surface, creating a black spot in the white blanket of snow. "Heh, afraid not, Zane. Nobody understands my struggle. Hell, the only other being that can come even close to understanding my hatred for you is that insipid General Cryptor, and he was _programmed _to hate you!"

He looked back up at Zane, genuine concern in his eyes now. "I will admit, I was so relieved to hear that he had failed to kill you. Permanently, at least. But I can see now that such a deed may not fall onto me either. That doesn't mean that I won't have my revenge..."

Taking his hand out of his jacket pocket, Zane and Pixal watched in confusion as he pressed a small red button.

* * *

*Onboard the _Destiny's Bounty, _Flying Over the Sea of Sand*

The students did manage to fit into the lower hull, just as Brad suggested. Nelson and a few others had stayed in the rear end near the engines, ready to jump back out once they landed. The only light source were the dim red lights overhead.

One of the students ran to the back where they were to spread the word. "I just heard Gravis above us! He said we're 15 minutes away, so be ready!"

Nelson nodded, knowing Brad and Gene were preparing their own groups at the other end of the hull. "Alright guys, you heard him. Masks o-" He was interrupted by an incessant _beeping _coming from behind him. It was coming from one of the rear crates next to the engine. "INITIALIZING COUNTDOWN: 60. 59. 58..."

* * *

"What did you do, Echo?" Zane took a step forward hesitantly toward his rusty twin, fear beginning to show in his eyes.

but Echo acted as if he didn't hear him. "Did you know, Zane, that we had a spy inside your tower this whole time? Two, in fact. One was used to bring you all together, a crucial key earlier on in our plan as **she helped Kai with the Elemental Masters.**"

Pixal gasped. "Skylor?!"

"But the second... Oh I'll tell ya, Zane... The _second_ spy was our true prodigy. Sent in by both Lord Garmadon and myself, this one showed such promise. For the past five years, he's been secretly feeding us information, getting to know your systems and defenses more, all for when we arrived back home."

* * *

Nelson approached the crate slowly. "Stand back, guys." The others didn't respond as their Purple comrade lifted the crate's top off, revealing a container of highly reactive fluids. And in the center, a beeping bomb. "55. 54. 53..."

"OH SHIT! Guys, we gotta warn-" He turned to get his friends help, but stopped cold when he saw what happened behind his back. The six students in black lay dead on the floor, knives in their back. Two figures stood towering over them. One was Skylor, with red stains of blood on her orange Gi. The other was dressed in the standard black Gi of the students, a wicked smile on his face.

"Sorry, Nelson, but we can't let you do that. But if it's any consolation, I didn't want you here." The smaller figure threw another knife into Nelson's stomach, causing him to stumble back until he fell to the floor.

"Gene? Wh-why…" And the last thing the Purple ninja saw were the wicked smiles of Skylor and Gene, and the last thing he ever heard was the time bomb saying "45."

* * *

"Yes, young Gene was _so _anxious to help us. Really, he was quite instrumental in what is about to occur. By my own orders, he helped the copycat Cyrus Borg build your team a new _Destiny's Bounty, _which is currently carrying all of your Allies to the Golden Peaks. But I'm afraid they won't make it..."

Zane stared in shock, while Pixal opened a communication to Brad. "BRAD! CAN YOU READ ME? GET OFF OF THE SHIP NOW!"

* * *

Brad and the others heard Nelson's voice yell something before quickly being silenced. "Stay here, guys. I'll see what's wrong." He ran through the dark to the opposite end of the hull. But as the dim lights grew dimmer, his communicator muffled online.

"_-zzt- __BRAD! CAN YOU READ ME? GET OFF OF THE SHIP NOW! -zzt-" _Confused, he opened the channel. "Pixal? how did you know we were-"

_"-zzt- IT'S A TRAP, BRAD! GENE AND SKYLOR SET THE SHIP TO EXPLODE! -__zzt-_" His eyes widened from the revelation. _Skyor? GENE? _But before he could respond, he felt the hull get colder as wind came rushing out towards the back.

He ran to see what it was, and almost threw up from the site. Nelson and six others were lying on the ground dead, and the back hatch was open. Gene and Pixal jumped out.

"_-zzt- Get out of there Brad! -zzt-"_

"I need to tell the others!"

The booming voice of Karlof emerged from behind. "Tell the others what? That you snuck on board, Brad, or that-" As the Master of Metal turned the corner to see the sight that Brad saw, he stumbled backwards from shock. "Wha… Who did this?"

"Karlof! It was skylor and Gene! They've rigged the ship to blow, we need to tell the others!"

"OK, get to- wait, what's that sound?" They both turned back to the engine, focusing on the high pitched beeping through the wind. "8. 7. 6. 5..."

Karlof did not hesitate. "Brad. I'm sorry." The Master of Metal hugged the boy and turned him around, turning his skin to metal to shield him from the blast.

"3. 2. 1. Goodbye." Within seconds, the new _Destiny's Bounty _burst into a fiery explosion, killing hundreds of children and Masters of the Elements.

* * *

Pixal could only hear static through the communication now. "Brad? BRAD?!"

Echo closed his eyes. "_Ah. _I know you have a sixth sense too, Zane. Did you sense what I did? The deaths of innocents, yearning to help you, even in their final moments?"

He did. But unlike Echo, who seemed calmed by the deaths, The Master of Ice was shaking into a frenzy. He picked Echo up by the collarbone and raised him above the ground. "WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!"

"Exactly what my master promised I would. I had my revenge, dear brother. I have been haunted by you since the day you took our father away from me. You took my one hope for a normal life away. Now, with a single push of a button, I have taken your hopes for a future away from you."

In anger, Zane spun himself into a tornado of Ice, hurling Echo into a tree. On impact, several small gears flew out of the gash made by Pixal, and the black fluids made a trail as the evil Nindroid began to cough it out of his mouth.

"*Cough, Cough* I... I guess it's true, huh Zane? No monster deserves to be locked up... But I am a worse monster than you could ever have imagined, created by your unconscious actions. I am your hubris, Zane. Behold." He laughed through coughs as he mockingly lifted his arms in a holy manner.

To Zane's surprise, Pixal stopped him from getting closer to his twin. "Don't, Zane. If you do this, he wins."

He knew she was right. This is what Echo wanted, to turn him into a monster, just as he was turned into one by him. "I'm sorry, Echo. But you lose."

The lights in the evil Nindroid's eyes started to fade, as did his smile. "P-p-pity. I g-guess that I won't live to see what c-c-comes next. But you will, Zane. You will see... just what **_HE _**has in s-store for yooouuuu…" As his voice trailed off, the malicious yellow glimmer in his eyes faded to grey, and his jawline broke off. Echo Zane was dead, leaving behind a warning that Zane nor Pixal understood.

But they soon will.

* * *

**THIS was a sad one. A lot of backstory and death. This is the only chapter besides one more later on that will have flashbacks.**

**PLEASE review. If there is anything you especially like or dislike, let me know.**

**The next chapter is the BIG ONE!**


	20. Return

**Hey y'all! This is the most important one so far! A lot, I REPEAT, a lot goes down in this one. More so than last chapter, at a pretty fast pace. **

**IT IS ALSO MY BIGGEST CHAPTER EVER SO FAR! Please enjoy, and leave a review! I appreciate your comments and your support.**

**I own nothing!.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Return**

Misako continued to lie down in the dirt, breathing slowly with closed eyes. Even though she no longer had the element of Water, Maya did her best to help ease her pain. As she did, Kai and Ray attempted to help however they could, though their abilities were limited.

"Dad... have you two been hostages this whole time?"

Ray and Maya exchanged a brief glance at one another before he sighed. "Kai, there is so much you should know; both you and Nya. We have missed so much of your journeys, and..." He began to choke back tears. "...And we are SO sorry! We were taken so that you could be safe, even if it meant we wouldn't see you again."

"Taken by Garmadon?"

"No, son, by the Time Master Krux. But that doesn't matter anymore, not now. He and his brother have aligned their entire legions to the Dark Army, and are now preparing for something. But for what, I do not know."

From behind Kai, a shrill voice interrupted their conversation. "Perhaps you'd like to find out?" He, Ray, and Maya all turned to the cell's entrance to see Harumi. To Kai's surprise, standing behind her were several Nindroids, the large General Killow, and the pirate Dogshank holding the half-starved Emperor and Empress. She opened the cell door and let Killow and a couple of Nindroids through to grab them.

"Let's move it, prisoners! The Green Ninja will be here soon; It's time for the Great Return!"

* * *

"What just happened? COMPUTER, REPORT!" Through the blaring alarms, Cyrus Borg was trying to make sense of the situation in the Tower's command room.

**"_Destiny's Bounty_ destroyed. Inward explosive force detected. Probability of survivors: Minimal."**

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was the project he had painstakingly worked on destroyed on its first day out of the workshop, but if the analysis was correct, then someone on the inside had planted the explosives. He looked to the only other man in the room, Clutch Powers, then back to the computer.

"...Ok. We need to inform the Ninja and get the students to safety. Transfer all data to the secondary _new base _while I make preparations just to be safe."

**"Negative. The Ninja are out of reach. Students are not on premises."**

"WHAT? Where are they?"

The screen went black for a moment before coming back online, now showing camera footage from the workshop. Based on the time shown in the upper corner, it was only two hours ago. _When the Masters were boarding the _Bounty.

As he thought, the footage did show Paleman running onto the ship, before fast forwarding a few moments later to show a large assortment of dark shapes amassing by the rear ventilation shaft. Then, one moved forward into the rear of the ship's hull. Then another, and another. It continued until all of them were on board, and Cyrus realized the horrible truth.

"Oh no..." Without further hesitation, he typed in several command keys, the both he and Clutch hurried out of the room towards the elevator as fast as they could.

* * *

Behind them, Gene and Skylor could hear the massive explosion as they used Airjitzu to slow their descent into the dessert. Once they landed, Gene looked up to see the trails of smoke emanating from the falling chunks of debris, falling hundreds of feet away from them. "The Master will be pleased, Skylor."

The Master of Amber smirked before grabbing him by the collarbone.

"Hey!"

"Shut it, Gene! Why wasn't I informed that that there was a second spy in the Tower all along? Why didn't you tell me? And why the hell were the other students on board the ship?" He smirked at her query, as if she was refusing to admit the obvious fact.

"You know damn well why. Lord Garmadon does not know you. He knows me, knows that I am loyal to him rather than myself. I reported on you, but don't worry. You played your role perfectly, even managing to string Kai's heart into a frenzy."

It was true, and she knew it. Although she had remained loyal, Skylor was relatively an outsider to Garmadon's plots. Still, she successfully gave Kai the necessary distraction to mess with his head as they trained their students, planting seeds of the false sense of security that they were ready to move on. But Gene still hadn't answered her last question.

"That doesn't explain why you brought every single student onto the ship! If we weren't so lucky, they could have warned the Elemental Masters about the explosives!" She let him go, giving him a chance to rub his collarbone before explaining himself.

"It wasn't my plan. I was just trying to bring Brad along; he was the only student that could have actually posed a threat. He was the most skilled, the best at leading the others. But I suppose it benefitted us in the end: Now, we don't have to worry about any of the Elemental Masters _or _any of the students." His logic was sound, but she still felt as though she had been lied to indirectly this whole time.

"Very well." Taking out her communicator, she set it to the same frequency as his. "This is Skylor to the Dark Army. The operation was a complete success: The _Bounty _is destroyed."

"_Excellent work, Skylor. We are opening a gateway for you now." _Although she'd never admit it, she missed the sound of her father's voice after all these years. "Thank you, Dad." As she switched off her communicator, a small portal formed in front of the two of them.

***Several Hundred Feet Away From Them***

As debris continued to fall, one large chunk of the ship hurled into the sandy ground with a _THUD. _After a few seconds, it burst open, revealing a weak Karlof with metal skin, and Brad who only had minor burns thanks to the Master of Metal shielding him.

But although they survived, they were anything but alright. The blast did not physically hurt Karlof, but the energy shielding took a lot out of him. Brad, on the other hand, was hyperventilating as he scanned the debris around them, tears beginning to stream down his face.

Several bodies were clearly visible, though almost impossible to identify if they were students. Ash's lifeless form was poetically near Chamille's. Jacob's torso could be seen, while the rest of him was crushed underneath one of the ship's banners. Only a few feet in front of them was the turban that belonged to Gravis. The rest of him was scattered. But none of the bodies that were close to the explosive were spared from disintegration, including Nelson's.

"I... I'm gonna be sick." _YOU BASTARD. GENE, YOU BASTARD. _

Karlof relinquished his metal form, reverting back to his natural state as he exhaled. "Why... why did they do this?" The young teen walked over and began to help him to his feet. As he did, he saw a small portal appearing hundreds of feet away.

"Because we were a threat! Karlof, LOOK!" The older man turned to see two figures walk through the portal just before it disappeared. "DAMMIT! THEY'RE GONE!" In spite, he kicked the nearest scraps into the sand. Karlof finished getting to his feet as he put a metal glove on his shoulder.

"We have just suffered a major loss, Brad. Do not be consumed by your anger towards them. We need to be smart if we want to bring them to justice. They may have a head start on us, but we know where they are going; the Golden Peaks are only a few miles ahead into the mountain range. Let's go."

* * *

The Nindroids pushed the Smith prisoners forwards, while Dogshank had Misako's slumped form over her shoulder. Killow held the Royals in each hand, laughing at their cowardice. In front of the line was the Quiet One, leading them towards the encampment's temple.

Although almost every dark army member moved to the side once they saw her approaching their direction, one not only stood his ground, but proceeded to walk forward towards her and stop her in her tracks. "Quiet One."

"What is the meaning of this General Cryptor?"

The Nindroid General eyed every prisoner behind her before giving her his attention. "I thought ya'd want to know: Vex returned with his new Blizzard samurai, just as he was supposed to. But your own little _pet _was not so fortunate in completing his task."

She turned to give Killow a concerned look, who returned it in kind before they both faced Cryptor. "Mr. E?"

"His Nindroid Transponder stopped sending a signal. Given its advanced modifications, this can only mean one thing. He was slain, most likely by Zane's hand."

Her fist tightened into a grip, but she didn't allow any emotion to show on her face as the surrounding crowd began to whisper around them. "You don't sound to displeased for someone who just found out their ally was slain by one of their most hated enemies."

"Ha! First correction: Zane _is _my most hated enemy. Second: E was no ally. He was poor competition at best. A weak imitation you tried to build up into some sort of specialized assassin, but in the end, what did he have to show for it?"

Before she could answer, Ronin and the Mechanic stumbled through the crowd. "Quiet One! We have just been told to tell you that _Mr. E's agent has completed his task_, whatever that means. Apparently he and one other just came here through a portal summoned by Garmadon."

"That's _Lord _Garmadon, Mechanic. And thank you..." She met Cryptor's confused gaze. "For telling me exactly what Mr. E had to show for it. In his death, he helped us secure the collective deaths of all of the Elemental Master's allied with the Ninja." Several cheerful shouts were uttered from the surrounding Crowd as Kai's eyes widened in shock. "And what did you have to prove yourself again, Cryptor? Oh, that's right! You _ALMOST_ killed one Ninja."

She pushed the Nindroid General to the side as Ronin listened in to his commlink. "What was that? _WHAT?" _He turned to an irritated Quiet One who was waiting on his report. "What is it, Ronin?"

"Ma'am, the spies just informed us that the _Bounty _was not only carrying their Elemental friends... It also had all of their students on board as well."

Kai shook his head in denial. "NO! That can't be true!" The Mechanic bowed his head, as if feeling personally ashamed at the deaths of children. Ronin's face had a similar look. But the Quiet One's grin had never been bigger.

"That is excellent news! I'm sure our Dark Lord was pleased to hear this!" She returned to marching forward, but stopped abruptly at the Mechanic's following remark.

"You complete psycho bitch."

Fury in her eyes, she took out her knife and aimed it in his direction. "Care to repeat that, Mechanic?"

He was not deterred nor swayed by her as his own anger began to show. "You psychotic bitch! You are insane! ALL OF YOU! I was never completely comfortable with the kidnapping or Realm invasions, but now, you openly support the deaths of a hundred kids?!"

Ronin began to reach for his wrist slowly as the tension rose. The Quiet One approached the Mechanic, knife held at neck level as she did. "You dare question our work, you pathetic scum? Y'know , we need bodies for the ritual... perhaps you'd like to join our prisoners?"

"NO!" Ronin took out a throwing star and knocked the knife out of her hand, before grabbing onto the Mechanic. Before anyone could grab them, a pair of metal wings popped out of his backpack and they jetted into the sky.

Nindroids started to fire at them, but continuously missed until the Quiet One held up her hand. "Hold your fire, they're not worth it. They're just cowards. Now let's go, Lord Garmadon is waiting."

* * *

Lloyd, Dareth, Nya, and Cole had to park the _Land Bounty _at the base of the mountain range. Due to their haste, they used Airjitzu as the fastest way up the mountain, stopping every time they needed a quick breather.

"C'mon, guys. We are almost there." Dareth looked up to Lloyd quizzically. "How do you know?"

The Green Ninja pointed up, where only a few hundred feet away from them they could clearly see the edge of the Dark Army's field of vehicles. A Nindroid gunship was clearly visible, and the small trails of smoke from behind it indicated torches. "Let's go."

"Yeah, but Lloyd... what's the plan?" Admittingly, he hadn't gotten that far.

"I am going to hand myself over to them, in exchange for Kai, Mystake, and my Mom. You will help them down. I can handle myself from that point, trust me."

The other three looked at each other skeptically, but continued to follow him up as there was no other choice. Once they got to the encampment's edge, it only took a second before a Stone Army scout pointed him out. "Soztu toong!" Several Serpentine, Nindroid, and Stone Army warriors flanked them from every forward angle, resulting in Lloyd raising his arms in a surrendering fashion.

* * *

In the center of the encampment, Garmadon had drawn out a large circle. In it's center was the Table of Resurrection, with the three Oni masks and Mystake's body lying on it. The Drak Lord approached her slowly.

"I have done you the kindness of completing this task without any of your friends watching. Any last words, traitor? Perhaps you'd like to beg for mercy." The old woman spit in his direction before uttering out the same words she said in his presence so many years ago:

"Mercy? Never heard of it!"

"So be it." As the crowd around him watched, he chanted ancient words of Dark Magic, causing the masks to circle around the table slowly before a black hue began to encompass it. Mystake's skin began to shrivel as she let out demonic shrieks of pain. Then, the Masks burst into pieces, and her entire form collapsed in on itself, creating an opening on the table's surface from the sacrificed blood of an Oni.

The opening began to leak a black smoke, followed by the long horns of one Oni with a staff. "I... Am Omega. You... Are Garmadon." He let out a bow of respect, and suddenly the evening sky became almost pitch black, and several hundred wisps of smoke flew out of the opening behind Omega. "We Oni are at your service."

The wisps flew towards the crowd, each hitting the ground and popping an Oni out of thin air. Within seconds, thousands of Oni were within the Dark Army crowd. Garmadon grinned and nodded at Omega, before using his power of Destruction to obliterate the table.

"Alright, that's enough of that. Now, where are... ah! There. Quiet One, well done." The approaching acolyte of Garmadon bowed out of respect for her master, making space for the henchmen to drop the prisoners into the circle.

After Killow had thrown them on the ground, the Emperor clamored to his wife. "Harumi! Please, please don't do this!" She snarled at the old man's pleas, bringing her knife close to his throat.

"It is FAR too late to beg now, false ruler. Your reign has been over for a long time, but what you symbolize: purity, peace, tranquility... these make you both _EXCELLENT _sacrifices of flesh for our ultimate ritual. You shall be the first, I think. Won't you agree, my Lord?"

"Quite, Quiet One. The Honor is yours."

"Thank you, My Lord." She smiled maliciously at the Emperor. "Harumi, ple-" The blade went through his brain before he could finish, to the Empress's horror. "NO!" As the bleached-haired girl took the blade out, she stood up to wipe off the blood.

"I at least owe you a clean death, after all..." With her black cloak, she wiped off the last of the blood, then raised the blade back into stabbing position as she turned back. "Now, let's finish thi-"

What happened next shocked everyone. With reflexes unbecoming of an old man, Ray shoved the Nindroid off of him just long enough to lunge forward, grab the blade out of her hand, and jam it up her throat. "I'm sorry."

The widened eyes of pain and shock on the Quiet One's face showed that she hadn't expected this. As Ray was grabbed once again by Nindroids, She stumbled until she fell onto her back, laying next to her adoptive father, the last thing she ever saw being the unamused look of Lord Garmadon.

The Dark Lord simply _tsk tsk_ed as he stepped into the growing pool of blood that was beginning to encompass the circle, then used all four hands to crush the Empress's head. "Such a shame. The Quiet One was a key player, as was Mr. E. But their sacrifices will not be in vain. Ray, I believe you must now pay for your treachery. You and your wife."

The two were shoved forward by the Nindroids as Kai was held back by the Vengestone chain. He struggled to move forward, yelling protests through each attempt. But his yells stopped once he saw Skylor and Gene both approach his parents. They weren't wearing any restraints.

"SKYLOR! GENE! What are you doing?" The Master of Amber took out her long blade as she took another step forward, looking at Kai in the eyes as she did. "Why, isn't it obvious Kai? I'm doing my duty to my people." With Gene right next to her, she began to raise her blade slowly.

Realizing she would never have another chance to say so in this life, Maya turned quickly to her son. "Kai, I love you. We love you. Tell Nya we lo-" And before she could finish her sentence, Kai saw the agonizing scene of Skylor's blade slicing the necks of her parents, blood spraying onto both her uniform and Gene's face.

* * *

"Dark Army, I have come to bargain! Let your hostages go, and take me instead."

The soldiers all chuckled and hissed in amusement, as if Lloyd's statement was completely ludicrous. Simultaneously, they all shuffled to make an opening between the crowd, revealing Pythor and Aspheera.

"Oh, my dear boy, you are in no position for such threats. I think we will just take you as well!"

Through a low snarl, Lloyd realized his haste was his weakness. "Guys, I was wrong. Run!" He had expected to hear protests, or for them to unsheathe their weapons in preparation to attack, but instead he heard all three of them mumble in low tones, as if they were struggling. He turned his head to see all three of them frozen in place, standing in plain positions.

"What are you doing guys? Run!"

Through gritted teeth, Nya choked out "We... _mmph… _can't."

Aspheera and Pythor let out a laugh as black smoke began to appear between them. "Y'see Lloyd, it's always good to make new friends. And one of our new friends has this unique ability to freeze people in place. Please allow us to introduce to you Omega, leader of the Oni." As Aspheera slithered backwards, large horns emerged from the black smoke, then a full figure.

Omega looked eerily similar to Mystake's Oni state, but with a larger head, horns, and a staff to symbolize his dominance. As he lifted his staff to raise the three he had frozen in place into the air, Aspheera used her own staff to restrain Lloyd and carry him through the air. "Now, let's go. It's time you do your part on behalf of the Dark Army."

* * *

Kai was still crouching over his parent's lifeless bodies as he heard the clamoring get louder and louder. Eventually willing to look up, he realized that this nightmare was about to get worse in the only possible way.

They captured Nya.

The Master of Water struggled, just as Cole and Dareth were doing, through her invisible bonds as Omega set her down in the circle along with him. She was the first of them to notice who he was crouching over. "N...No. NO. NO! MOM, DAD!" As she stood in place, her face flushed and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Dareth and Cole took notice of them too, as well as Harumi, the royals, and Misako, who was still (barely) breathing.

Lord Garmadon nodded at Omega in an approving fashion. "Well done. You can let the girl go, however. Like her brother, she is now too distracted."

The Oni leader opened his palm, causing Nya to gasp as she fell onto the ground. Immediately picking herself up enough to move, she crawled next to Kai. After a quick smirk, The Dark Lord turned back to the crowd. "And Lloyd?"

"Right here, my Lord!" The thick voice of Pythor cut into the air, calling for the attention of the Crowd as Aspheera brought forth a struggling Lloyd. But once he saw the shell of his father standing over his Mother, he froze in place. "What did you do to her?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Aspheera's restraints on him dissipated, dropping him to the ground as he ran forward. He picked her head with one hand so she could clearly see him. "MOM, Mom, it's me. I'm here. I'm going to get you out of here, I'm going to get you all out of here, just hang on!"

"_Ungh…_ L-Lloyd?" With all of her remaining strength she brushed her hand against his cheek. "It's too... It's too late for me, son. I will be gone soon. With y-your true f-f-father. With y-your Uncle. I..." Her hand began to slip, until Lloyd pressed it against his face, tears beginning to form.

"I-I-I... Love y-you... _son." _With her final words, her eyes rolled backwards, her head slumped, and her body went limp. Unlike Kai or Nya, Lloyd just stared at his mother, as if unable to process it.

Cole closed his eyes in denial. Dareth's eyes widened beyond belief. The surrounding Dark Army members chuckled in cruelty at the sight, and Lord Garmadon placed the Golden Armor, Dragon Armor, and Realm crystal in the circle's center before walking towards Lloyd.

"_YES... _I can sense your anger, Lloyd. It is boiling within you, but you are too uncertain of what to do with it. No matter... I know someone else who will." He turned to face the encompassing army around them. "THE _VESSEL_ IS READY! IT IS TIME FOR THE GREAT RETURN!"

The army raised their weapons in the air, chanting "THE GREAT RETURN!" once before Skylor and Chen approached the end of the circle. Clouse, now holding Harumi's spellbook, began an enchantment. Aspheera shot a purple beam into the air, reciting the same enchantment as she did. Sensei Yang was the third to repeat it, opening his palms to the sky where the purple beam was shot opening a dimensional rift in the air.

Garmadon looked to Chen and nodded. The New Anacondrai leader raised his staff in the air towards the open rift, summoning each element within it. "I call upon Metal! Gravity! Speed! Nature! Sound! Shadow! Light! Time! Wind! Water! Earth! Poison! Smoke! Form! Energy!" As each element was said, energy drew from within the staffs crystal and shot through the rift. Once he was done reciting, Skylor stepped forward, her fist lighting up blue and red.

"I call upon Water! Fire! and Amber!" Small traces of each element withdrew from her fists, but she hadn't lost her power, just momentary strength. As she stepped back, Garmadon approached the rift.

"My gift to you, Oh Great One! I offer you a piece of... Destruction!" A deep purple trace drew from his upper right arm into the rift. "And finally, from beyond the known realms... I give you the dark raw essence of... Lightning!" His forearms grew a brighter orange as he shot four separate continuous beams of red Lightning into the rift.

_..._

And a booming voice began to echo around the entire encampment as the rift opened further.

_**"MY TIME HAS COME..."**_

The voice was deep, raspy. Too deep for anyone to initially recognize, but Dareth knew it only meant trouble. He looked to Cole, then to Lloyd kneeling over Misako's shriveled body, then to Kai and Nya crouching down against the bodies of their parents. The entire army had encircled them in the center before the Temple, cutting off any route of escape. Ignoring the Ninja, Lord Garmadon continued to shoot the red lightning into the rift as it grew larger.

_**"FOR MILLENIA, I'VE PREPARED. I GREW STRONGER." **_

The voice was getting louder, now clearly heard by everyone on the mountain. Cole looked towards the relics to see the Golden Armor and Realm Crystal levitate off the ground, into the epicenter of the circle midway between the ground and the rift.

_**"WHILE YOU RESTED IN YOUR CRADLE OF POWER, BELEIVING NINJAGO'S PEOPLE WERE SAFE, AND PROTECTED."**_

Omega prodded at Kai's head in a mocking tone. The Master of Fire angrily snarled back before Nya shook his shoulder, drawing his attention to the scene before them. The Realm Crystal began to turn black instead of blue. As the Armors began to enclose around it as it still levitated, it shot a beam of energy into the rift.

_**"YOU WERE TRUSTED TO LEAD NINJAGO. BUT YOU WERE DECEIVED."**_

Gene walked to the edge of the circle, standing behind Lord Garmadon with a smirk. Ray's blood was still fresh on his face as he held the blade, sending chills down the collective spines of Dareth, Cole, and Nya. Kai was too focused on Skylor, who stood at the other end of the circle by Chen, with an equally sadistic grin on her face, and malice in her eyes.

_**"AS MY POWERS OF DARKNESS HAVE BLINDED YOU."**_

Lord Garmadon shot the last of the red lightning in, clearly tired from the effort. But without skipping a beat, he walked forward towards his son. "It's time, Lloyd." The Green Ninja acted as if he had not heard him, still staring at his Mother's dead eyes. The Dark Lord grabbed Lloyd's arm, hoisting him up and dragging him towards the center near the Armors and the Realm Crystal.

_**"YOU ASSUMED NO FORCE WOULD DARE OPPOSE YOU."**_

Dareth, Cole, Nya, and Kai were helpless as they watched Lloyd be picked up into the air by the shell of his father, inching him closer to the Armor. With a triumphant grin on his face, the Dark Lord eyed Lloyd down.

But he hadn't expected Lloyd to kick him in the Jaw, knocking him off his balance.

Before any of the Dark Army members could break the circle to stop him, the Green Ninja picked up the vengestone chain that was wrapped around his leg and smashed it into Lord Garmadon's back, sending him crashing into the Armors. In the total space of a millisecond, he touched, the armor, a black beam shot down from the rift, and a bright light absorbed the lifeless bodies of Harumi, the Emperor and Empress, Misako, Ray, and Maya, as well as Garmadon, the Realm Crystal, and the two Armors.

And then the white light disappeared, leaving trails of smoke within the circle as Lloyd tried to get a bearing on his surroundings.

**"****But now...**_**"**_

The voice now came from Garmadon's form. The figure no longer looked the same, however. Although it still had black skin and four arms, the outer armor was Golden. Both the Golden Armor and the Dragon Armor had melded with the figure's physical form, and the Dragon Blade had turned completely black, into the Dark Blade. The dark figure looked up to Lloyd, and opened his eyes. They were _purple. __**"**_**Finally." **

**"I... have... returned.**_**"**_

Dareth was the next to get to his feet, now freed from the Oni's dark magic. He pointed at the form in front of Lloyd, yelling what his sensei was too afraid to say out loud.

"It's the Overlord!" And everything stirred into a frenzy.

Kai grabbed a sword from a nearby Hypnobrai soldier, running straight for Skylor. Nya spun into a water tornado and kicked Omega off balance, proceeding to spin through the crowd of Dark Army members. Cole shot rocks at several other Dark ARmy soldiers, managing to knock Aspheera onto her back. Dareth used Airjitzu to get on top of the Anacondrai Serpent and cause several Fire Fangs to shoot at its head, knocking it unconscious.

But Lloyd just stared in horror as the Overlord raised his four fists into the air, turning them into a blue haze. _Oh no. He absorbed the Realm Crystal. He has it's powers! _Indeed, the Overlord shot a Realm-breach beam into the sky thousands of feet above them summoning a portal from the Cursed Realm.

As the fighting continued around them, Lloyd seemed to be the only Ninja to notice the GARGATUAN sized aircraft come through the breach **(Imagine it looking like the spaceship _Sanctuary II_.)** Manned by ghosts and Skulkin warriors, the final gift to the Overlord by Lord Garmadon was complete:

The _Garmatron II._

While the ground troops stayed to continue fighting the Ninja, all of the vehicle owners within the Dark Army ran to board the vehicles. Motorcycles and other land-vehicles latched onto any chopper or jet that they could, before the fleet flew into the air to board their new Capital ship. Around Dareth, the Serpent and Fire Fangs were them beamed up into the giant craft as well.

The Master of Fire shot a large beam fiery beam at Skylor, who shot an equally powerful one back. Matched in power the two pushed against each other, each trying to outdo the other. But Skylor saw Gene approach from the side, ready to help. "NOW, GENE!" He looked to her, then to Kai, before taking out a throwing knife. "Sorry, Skylor. But I stand a better chance in the Overlord's ranks without any competition." Before she could yell out in protest, he through a knife into her stomach, causing her to break focus and get burned alive by Kai's flame.

Her screams broke Lloyd out of his trance. He grabbed his sword from the ground, rushing towards the Overlord. The Dark Master was not impressed. He quickly blocked the first strike, dodged the second, and spun around the third before slicing his Dark Blade into Lloyd's lower gut, looking him in the eyes.

_**"**_**You were deceived."**

Lloyd dropped his sword and stumbled backwards, gripping onto his flesh wound as Dareth came to his aid. Both of them and the others looked towards the triumphant evildoer, who extended all four arms in a gloating manner.

** "And now _your _Ninjago... shall fall."**

As a light beamed the newly reborn Overlord up into his craft, others beamed up every other Dark Army member into the _Garmatron II _as well. On their master's command, the Skulkin gunmen on board shot several long-range Darkmatter ballistics towards Ninjago City, before flying forward to leave them in their failure.

After they passed the line of sight for the Ninja, the citizens of the City looked up to see the projectiles coming, running into a panicked state as the Commissioner and his forces attempted to calm everyone. But even they stopped once the projectiles flew over them, ramming straight into Borg Tower. The Commissioner took off his hat and watched in horror as the monumental building that stood for peace for over five years was eviscerated. "Cyrus... I hope you weren't in there."

Another police officer walked closer to the Commissioner as they turned to see the fast-approaching _Garmatron II_. "What do we do now, sir?"

"We do what we must to survive. Serve, grovel, even allow unjust imprisonment." He turned back to the rubble of Borg Tower. "And we pray that the Ninja will save us."

* * *

**AAAAAAAAAAANNND THERE IT IS! The big one! This, and one other chapter I've actually been writing since I began "A Knight's Journey," because I had an exact vision of how I wanted it to go.**

**DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE OVERLORD'S MONOLOGUE IS FROM? Leave a comment if you do!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I will update whenever I can.**


	21. So What Now?

**HEY GUY! Watch these if you want to see where my inspiration for the epic monologue at the end of the last chapter were from:**

**Ninjago Version: ** watch?v=ZQqxuxWrC5o

**Original Version: ** watch?v=YdgmH9Vv2-I

**...**

**This is a significantly shorter chapter than the last one. ANYWAY, please read and leave a comment/review! I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: What Now?**

Even though it was hundreds of miles away, Zane could sense the sudden carnage that was taking place. He and Pixal had just buried Echo's body in front of their father's tree, and made their way to the _Land Bounty_'s jet. But right as he sat in the copilot's seat, he grabbed his head, as if in agony.

"Zane? What is it?"

"I...I don't know, Pixal. I think..." He looked up to Echo's grave, then back to her with fear in his eyes. "I think whomever Echo warned us about just revealed himself. And whoever they are, they just tipped the balance against us."

She turned on the Jet's engines. Zane looked at her quizzically as she seemed determined on their destination. "Where should we go? Back to the Tower? To the Golden Peaks?"

She shook her head, realizing something else."No. We need to go to the old Monastery."

"What? Why?"

"I think it is something you should see for yourself rather than have me explain it to you. I promise you will understand once we are there."

Zane nodded and started their liftoff, unbeknownst what they were heading into.

* * *

"Hold on, Lloyd. Just wait a second!" Dareth was gripping tight onto Lloyd's wound to put pressure on it, but it wasn't enough. Cole held the young Sensei by giving him his hand to hold, turning to the Master of Fire. "KAI! I need you here, NOW!"

The red Ninja was still breathing heavily, staring at the roasted corpse of Skylor with malice in his eyes. "KAI!" Dareth may as well have been yelling at a brick wall, until Nya shuffled towards her brother, tears still streaming down her eyes. she put her hand on his shoulder. "Kai..."

Finally, he turned to look her in the eyes. Once he met them, he also began to cry. "N-Nya, Mom and Dad-"

She held up her hand. "I know, Kai. I know, but we can talk about it later. Lloyd needs your help right now." She pointed to Dareth and Lloyd, who was now clearly in excruciating pain. "Lloyd..."

They both ran over to him, Kai lightning a small flame in his fist as he did. "This isn't gonna feel good, Lloyd, but it will make it better." As Lloyd gritted his teeth, he nodded at him to do it, gripping tight onto both Cole and Dareth's arms. The red Ninja pressed his fiery fist onto the wound, cauterizing it immediately.

"ARRRRGH!"

"It's ok, buddy, the worst part is over." Indeed, they looked down to the wound to see that the bleeding had stopped, even though it was still a serious wound in need of medical attention immediately. "We need to get him to the _Land Bounty _now, Dareth."

"Right, let's go. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to." The two picked Lloyd up by the shoulders, carefully carrying him down towards the mountain's descent. "Nya, let's-"

Cole turned back to see his girlfriend, who was staring at the temple. The only thing that the Dark Army had left behind. "Nya..."

Before anyone could react she raised both arms swiftly and summoned a barrage of water spikes into the air. "DAMN THEM ALL!" With a throwing motion, all 50 water spikes pierced into the structure's base, causing it to collapse on itself until nothing but rubble stood in its place.

Huffing slowly, the Master of Water turned to face the other three, who didn't even seem too phased by her outburst. Inwardly, they all felt the same. Though Dareth was the one to offer words of wisdom.

"I know Nya. I can't say I have been through what you are going through now, but I understand. We lost our friends and students as well, and I promise you, they will pay. But right now, we need to regroup and reorganize. Salvage what is left, and live to fight another day."

"I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF, BROWN NINJA!"

All five looked up overhead to see a flying red carrier with an opening in the back. Kai recognized the one piloting, and the cyborg who had called out to them from the back. "The Mechanic?"

The R.E.X. landed down in front of them, with the Mechanic hopping out immediately and running towards them. But as he was only feet away from them, Nya raised her blade at his neck, stopping him in his tracks.

"Whoa! Hey, it's ok, we're here to help!"

Nya wasn't convinced. "Why THE HELL would you want to help? I remember you from the temple, you two are Dark Army members!"

"No, Nya, they're not." She turned her head to her brother, who was also eyeing the Mechanic, but with a calm demeanor. "They protested against the Ritual just before you arrived, after they were informed about the students' deaths. The Nindroids even tried to kill them."

The Mechanic let out a nervous chuckle, arms still raised in the air. "Heh, see?"

"BUT, that doesn't excuse them from over 5 years of associating with the Dark Army."

He lowered his arms slowly, sighing with the sense of regret. "You are right, yes. Ronin and I were associated with Chen's faction long before they aligned with the Dark Army, but only as handymen! I fixed trucks, and Ronin was a delivery-boy-for-hire. We were told by Harumi that we wouldn't have to kill anyone. But She didn't tell us that they would be doing so."

"So then why are you here?"

"Ronin and I want to fix our mistakes. We can't wash away the horrible deeds we helped put in place, but we aren't going to sit back as the Dark Army takes over Ninjago. After we fled, Ronin took the R.E.X. to the crash site of the destroyed _Bounty..._"

The others stared at him in anticipation. "AND?"

"And... they weren't lying. Hundreds of dead kids, and a large handful of dead Elemental Masters." The four hung their heads in silence, the worse being confirmed. "However, we did find _two _survivors." He looked back to the R.E.X. where Ronin and Karlof were helping a bandaged Brad out of the craft.

Nya dropped her blade and ran over to them with Cole "BRAD! KARLOF!" They widened their arms and embraced the two, grateful for their survival. Ronin smiled and looked up to the Mechanic, who nodded back before facing the other three.

Through slow huffs, Lloyd looked to Dareth and Kai before facing him. "Thank you, Mechanic. I think I speak for all of us when I say that. And you're right, you may not be able to wash away all of your sins..."

The cyborg hung his head in shameful agreement. From several feet away, Ronin did the same.

"But that doesn't mean you two don't deserve a second chance." They both looked up with hopeful glee as the young Sensei extended his arm. After a few moments, the Mechanic shook it, a smile on his face.

"Alright. Dareth, Kai, if you two wouldn't mind getting me onto their ship_. _Mechanic, could you and Ronin take us down the mountain to the _Land Bounty_?"

"Of course!" The group boarded the R.E.X. as Ronin began its engines, allowing it to hover above the surface. Once they were strapped in, the craft began its descent down the mountainside. Just as they approached the base of the mountain and landed next to the vehicle, Ronin stared quizzically at the computer beeping.

"Umm, guys? You're_ Land Bounty_ is sending a signal to us. But it's not here, its heading in the northwest direction."

Dareth unstrapped himself and approached the computer as well. "That's the jet! Zane and Pixal are sending a signal to us; It looks like they're headed towards-"

Nya's voice cut through. "The old Monastery. We need to go there. Ronin, you and Mechanic follow us as we drive there."

"Uh, ok... But why?"

* * *

In Ninjago City, chaos was unleashed. After Borg Tower was destroyed, the gargantuan _Garmatron II _beamed down thousands of Dark Army soldiers at every entance to the city, blocking off any hope of escape. Within the hour, the entire population of the City was at the Overlord's mercy.

But to the surprise of his Subordinates, the Overlord did not commence an attack or order the executions of any high-profile individuals. Instead, he beamed himself and his inner circle of generals and faction leaders down to the old Royal Palace, which was now an empty complex left abandoned after the Ninja helped it's reconstruction.

The Overlord toured the Palace's great halls, roaming through each room with precise attention to detail as he did. His top two Generals, Kozu and Cryptor, followed him closely as he did. The rest (Samukai, Kruncha, Knuckal, Aspheera, Pythor, Char, the four Serpentine Generals, Chen, Clouse, Morro, Nadakhan, Sensei Yang, Krux and Acronix, Killow, Ultra Violet, Omega, and Vex) Were all waiting for him in the Throne Room, staring at the three thrones that stood in place.

Once the Overlord arrived in the room, all heads turned towards him, causing an instant shuffle to the side as they made way for their leader to walk up to the throne. Kozu and Cryptor joined them once their creator passed through the small crowd, making his way up to the throne. Only feet away from them, he stopped, looking at the throne on the right hand side of the center one. Nadakhan floated forward with a slight aura of nervousness in his approach. "Overlord... What now?"

**"****For the past six years, I have been plotting my return. Ever since that _puny _Blue Ninja had the stupidity to kill himself just to throw me back into my dormant state. But during those six years, I spoke directly to Garmadon. My most trusted confidant. Through his work, your forces were merged together to create the ultimate power in Ninjago!****"**

He turned his head to the throne on the main one's left hand side. **"Of course, none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of The Quiet One. It was her genius that inspired this alliance in the first place. If all had gone according to plan, she would be standing here right now. And I would have absorbed the Green Ninja's essence and power, instead of Lord Garmadon's."**

He turned back around to face his cohorts. **"Were they here now, they would both rule by my side as equals, and together, our triumvirate would bring Ninjago _to it's knees._ But they have been damned in the ritual to bring me back, and are beyond ressurrection. And so..."** He raised all four arms, and his hands began to glow with a dark purple energy. To the surprise of the faction leaders, he spun back around and shot four purple lasers at the two thrones to the side, incinerating them to dust immediately.

**"It is up to me alone to bring a new order."** He stepped forward and turned to sit in the throne, resting his two lower arms on the armchairs as he put the upper to against each other in a pyramid shape.

**"****BEHOLD, my friends. Today dawns a new era; One of complete control to those who deserve it, where the strong are on top. I grant all of you complete dominance over your prospective homesteads, and all of you are to be my Supreme Council. You are equal to one another, and will answer to none but me. GARMADON IS DEAD, and in his place, I reclaim my title as The Overlord, Dark Master and Emperor of Ninjago!"**

The 23 members of his new Supreme Council all bowed down to their Master, knowing that the Order they will create will bring them all their just desserts as they smiled wickedly, ready to bring their own taste of change.

* * *

Zane and Pixal were already walking up the steps to the Monastery when they saw the vehicle half of the _Land Bounty _and the R.E.X. stop at the base of the stairway. Once the rest caught up with them, it took the two Nindroids all of 0.01 seconds to notice their friend's expressions of regret and pain. Zane ran back down the stairs to help Dareth and Kai carry Lloyd.

"What happened? Where are the others?" The lack of eye contact the group made only put him further on edge, causing him to shake Lloyd slightly. "Mystake? Lloyd, where is she? Where's your mother?"

"They're dead, Zane. As are many others, including the other Elemental Masters and Students. Brad and Karlof were the only survivors." Zane and Pixal both looked down the stairs to see the two walking up with Nya, all of whom Pixal ran down to hug.

"Brad! Thank goodness you got out in time!"

The young boy hugged her back. "I didn't, really. Karlof shielded me from the blast. We were the only two survivors."

"And Gene and Skylor?" Kai's fist tightened in anger, answering the question before anyone else could. "They managed to escape back to the Golden Peaks, but we put up a fight after their little ritual. Gene escaped, but Skylor won't be bothering us anymore."

Although he was bothered by Kai's mildly sadistic tone, Zane chose to focus on the bigger part of his statement. "What ritual?"

Dareth opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Nya interrupted. "We will have time to tell you later. First, we should get to the Monastery."

Even Ronin and the Mechanic looked confused by her statement. "What are you talking about? The Monastery is nothing but ruins, everyone knows that! Hell, Skales made that pretty clear whenever he gloated about his first encounters with the Ninja."

Pixal looked at Nya with a serious expression, to which the Master of Water nodded back in approval. "Yes, it is time to show them. Our worst fears have been realized."

*MINUTES LATER*

Once the group made it to the top of the stairs, Zane helped set Lloyd down by the tree, where they had cremated Wu and buried the remains of the First Spinjitzu Master. After all he had been through today, Lloyd wasn't ready to face them, even if it was simply the idea of facing them. Tears began to stream down his face almost immediately. "I'm sorry... I'm SO SORRY... I FAILED YOU."

He looked up after feeling a hand touch his shoulder, to which Cole's face gave him a reassuring look. "No, Lloyd. You haven't failed anybody. This is not your fault; We did everything in our power to prevent this, but they've been a step ahead of us the whole time. Your Uncle, your Grandfather, and hell, even your _actual _father would be damn proud of you, if they were here."

"*Sniff* Thanks, Cole."

"This way, guys." Nya and Pixal continued to walk into the ruins of the Monastery, to which Cole helped Lloyd up so they and everyone else could follow.

As they walked through the burnt gateway into the courtyard, Pixal began to speak, still walking towards the open doorway into the half-burnt building. "As you know, Lloyd put Nya and myself in charge of this complex shortly after the First Spinjitzu Master's remains were buried here, In the hopes of preserving this sacred ground from any type of threat. Although we experienced no threats when we installed standard security measures, we decided to go several steps further, with the help of Cyrus Borg."

Now inside, the group walked into what was once the quarters of Sensei Wu, making Kai, Zane, and Cole feel especially uneasy. "What are we doing in here you two?"

Pixal approached the back wall and pressed onto the only thing that was on it: a small gray button that was almost unnoticeable. Once she pressed it, the wall slid to the side to reveal a secret large elevator door. "Come on."

The entire group was surprisingly able to fit inside the spacious elevator. Once in, the door closed and the wall slid back into place. Nya pressed on one of the only two buttons: down. Lloyd, while clearly still uncomfortable from the wound, looked to the two quizzically. "You said Cyrus helped install this?" Both Nya and Pixal nodded. "He was really the key designer, Pixal and I just built it with the help of his drone construction crew. But you be the judge."

After the elevator _ding_ed, indicating their ride had stopped, the group was in awe at the sight before them:

A massive cave was hollowed out within the mountain. Clearly reminiscent of Nya's old Samurai-X caves, the new base was almost three times their the far end, they could see a bay door that would open to let any vehicles in or out. In front of that, several vehicles and mechs that were moved from Borg Tower's hangar in the months prior. On one side of the cave was a training ground to keep any residents in shape. At the other side of the cave, a whole mini-complex of housing, capable of holding the entire population of the Ninja's deceased students if necessary.

But none of that was what put a smile on everyone's faces. Hundreds of feet away was a large control center, styled after the control room of Borg Tower. And in front of the large computer screens were none other than Clutch Powers and Cyrus Borg. "Welcome to Safehouse Zero!"

"Mr. Borg, you're alive!" Pixal ran forward and embraced her father in a hug, which was happily returned. Clutch smiled at the sight, before turning to see the rest of the group walk out of the elevator. Including Ronin and the Mechanic.

Instinctively, he took out his revolver, aiming it at the duo. "What the hell are the doing here?" Not wanting to start anything, the two raised their arms in a surrendering fashion, giving Dareth and Cole the chance to get between them and Clutch.

"Whoa, whoa! It's OK, Clutch, they're alright!"

"No, they're not! They were at the Pyramid six years ago! They're Dark Army!" Cautiously, Dareth approached the gun-wielding adventurer before he placed his hand over the Revolver, lowering it with minimal force.

"We know, and trust me, they wouldn't be here if they didn't have Lloyd's confidence." After several seconds, Clutch nodded and looked to them skeptically. "Alright, but I've got my eye on them." No one dared make an eye pun.

After the two lowered their arms gratefully, both Clutch and Borg looked at the smaller-than-expected group. Borg wheeled forward to be closer to Lloyd. "I'm glad to see that Karlof and Brad survived the explosion. I take it the Dark Army's attack left no other survivors?"

"It wasn't a Dark Army attack; at least not a direct one." The paralyzed genius looked puzzled at Brad's statement. "It was Gene and Skylor. They've been secretly spying on us for Garmadon this entire time. Karlof and I barely survived."

Borg stared at the boy for a second, clear shock on his face. "This is... most unsettling news. But what about the others? Where are Mystake and Misako?" The group hung their heads, unable to articulate what they experienced only mere hours ago into words just yet. But it was enough for Cyrus to understand. "I... I see. When you are ready, I do want to learn everything you can tell me. Clutch and I are already of the Overlord's return; he completely destroyed Borg Tower, and his armies have already taken the City. Their conquest of the Realm has commenced."

Freeing himself from Cole's support, Lloyd limped forward to the computer screens. "Yes. And we cannot attack back straight-on. At least not yet, and not with such small numbers." He sat down in the chair to rest his legs, revolving back to face everyone.

"We thirteen are currently all that stands between the Overlord and his quest for total domination. As long as we live and breathe, there is hope. But we cannot face them head-on in our state."

They all shuffled uncomfortably at his words. Surprisingly, Ronin was the one to speak up. "So what now, Lloyd?"

He stared down at his flesh wound, then his hands, then them. Turning the chair, he looked around the cave, eyeing the resident vehicles, the training courses, and its sleeping quarters. "We retreat. Stay here, in Safehouse Zero, to prepare for the time when we are ready to fight. We will only come out of the cave one at a time to avoid detection. Cyrus, are there any other offsite safehouses only you know about?"

"Yes, Safehouse One: My secret laboratory in Hiroshi's Labyrinth."

"Perfect. You will operate out of there to help us gain an advantage technologically. We'll develop cloaking for all of our vehicles so we can travel between both safehouses."

Cole and Kai looked baffled at what their Sensei was saying. "So we just hide out for however long, allowing the Dark Army to spread fear and chaos as we train?"

Lloyd sighed with a small nod. "It is a hard decision to make, but this is an extremely hard time. We are in no condition to fight, or even inspire others to fight. Eventually, we can go into their turf individually for hit-and-run moves, but nothing more. This will take time, guys. We've had years of unbridled peace. Now, we must face our new reality: years of unbridled Dark reign."

* * *

**AND THERE WE GO! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Please watch the videos I gave the link to in the beginning of this chapter, and _PLEASE_ leave a comment or review!**

**I'll update when I'm able. We're in the endgame now.**


	22. Time's Up

**OK, this is great! We are getting closer and closer to the grand finale! Please follow/comment/leave a review!**

**This is a shorter chapter, but it's just as juicy.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Time's Up**

Over four years had passed since the Overlord's return to power. In that time, much has changed in Ninjago. Through the orders of their new Emperor, the Supreme Councilmembers spread their forces throughout the realm:

The Skulkin and Ghost forces remained as the permanent crewmembers of the _Garmatron II, _which flew as the Overlord's personal command ship, flying over the skies of Ninjago as a constant reminder of the Dark Army's power. At the request of Chen, the ship's first target after they overthrew Ninjago City was the comlete decimation of the Island where the crime boss and his cultists had spent decades in exile.

With the full might of all serpentine factions, Aspheera and Pythor reclaimed the Viper Pyramid and the Lost City of Ouroboros. With Aspheera's magic, the desert lands that surrounded the two Serpentine Capitals turned into lush green fields, accessible only to Serpentine and the Overlord himself. The Viper Pyramid became Aspheera and Pythor's seat of power, and the City was home to all Serpentine, including Chen's faction and the Vermillion.

The Stone Army, Nindroids, and Sons of Garmadon became the bulk of Ninjago's land forces, with the Nindroid gunships as the land's personal armada. Shortly after complete domination was achieved, the Sons of Garmadon ransacked Kryptarium Prison. They killed the Warden and the Guards, freed all of the prisoners and put the Commissioner's forces behind bars, and handed Captain Soto and his crew over to Nadakhan.

Nadakhan's Sky Pirate Fleet conquered the seas and the skies above them, policing any and all who traveled through their space, taking over surrounding land masses in the realm such as Metalonia. After spending about a year torturing the Captain who put him in the Teapot of Tyrahn, the Djinn personally executed him and his crew.

Sensei Yang and his own small faction of Ghost students destroyed the Temple of Airjitzu, and with the help of slaves they captured through conquest, they rebuilt the structure into an established complex: The Dark Army Academy. There, Yang and his students inducted orphans and small children into their order, under the model of Gene.

Krux and Acronix, with their wisdom in combat and power to manipulate time of a single person as a means of torture, served as the personal advisors and torture masters within the Overlord's Palace.

General Vex had been given the entire region of Ninjago's Ice Tundra and the Frozen Wasteland as his own domain. With command of his Dragon Boreal, and the thousands of Blizzard Samurai at his disposal, he had claimed the Ice Temple where the Golden Shuriken's of Ice were once hidden as his own fortress.

Under the guidance of the Overlord, Omega had his army of Oni spread across Ninjago, spreading fear and chaos wherever hope and talks of revolution sprung up. With his dark magic, Omega had helped aid the Overlord and the Time Twins in rebuilding the Palace, turning it into a dark towering structure in the center of the City. This directly opposed the humble nature of the Palace when the Royal Family had lived in its walls.

With the combined might of every faction, people were captured and enslaved throughout Ninjago and put into camps. There, the Dark Army had their prisoners mine deep into the land for Dark Matter pockets, as well as become experiment's for the Overlord's sick pleasure.

Within the span of 3 weeks, The Dark Army had conquered the entirety of Ninjago's realm. Since then, Ninjago's innocent have known nothing but oppression and injustice.

And that was over four years ago.

* * *

In Safehouse Zero, the Resistance had been training. Sensei Lloyd had made good on his promise; after the 13 of them were back at full strength, they began running guerilla tactics against Dark Army forces. What started out as simple acts of vandalism quickly grew to minor attacks against traveling task forces. They've never been seen or captured in the act. However, they failed every attempt to free any imprisoned slaves captured.

The hollowed out cave became the familiar home to them. Once they established themselves as the Resistance, they created a new symbol: A caricature representing Wu's face** (WU CREW SYMBOL)** surrounded By a circle of Lightning for Jay, Water for Maya, Fire for Ray, and a black line in honor of Mystake's Oni side. The very symbol was painted on the large wall on top of the cave's elevator entrance.

"C'mon, Brad! You can do it!" Dareth was pushing the young man past his limit as he attempted a spinjitzu-airjitzu combo attack.

"Alright everyone, cover your ears!" To the far side, the Mechanic and Clutch were practicing their aim with flying drones. Clutch hadn't lost his touch.

"That's it, Zane! Push harder, their flamethrowers sure will!" Kai and Zane were pushing beams of their respective elements at each other.

"Well done, you two. Your strength has not lost itself to your boasting." Pixal kept adding weights to the bars that Cole and Karlof were currently bench pressing.

At the seat in front of the computer screen, Lloyd watched his friends in their strides, smiling. Although there was very little to be happy about, the past four years have taught him to enjoy the little things. He looked behind him to see two figures quickly approaching him. Ronin, and Nya, the latter of which was wearing her upgraded her new Samurai X armor she was testing. "Hey, are you two going to train?"

"I just did, Lloyd. Ronin says he has picked up a transmission from Safehouse One!" Their haste alerted Lloyd to the screen, where he indeed noticed a blinking red button. "Dammit!" Quickly pressing it, he and the other two looked up to see the staticky image of Cyrus in his secret lab. "Cyrus, what's the word?"

"_Lloyd, you need to get the R.E.X. over here! I've finally-" _The image began to dissipate until they couldn't see or here him. In frustration, Lloyd kept pressing in several command keys before giving up.

"Shit. Ronin, you heard him. You and Nya take the R.E.X. to Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Hurry!" The two nodded, running down the nearby stairs towards the small assortment of vehicles, prepping the red jet before they opened the hatch and turned on their camouflage, flying out towards Cyrus.

* * *

The jungle that surrounded Hiroshi's Labyrinth was no stranger to the occasional traveler. But with no clearings wide enough to establish a village and the general distance from any settlements, having more than a small handful of people in the area was considered extremely rare.

So when Ronin and Nya accidently flew directly above a traveling caravan of 20 Nindroids on regional patrol, they panicked. "LOOK OUT!" Ronin quickly defaulted to evasive maneuvers and flew back around and low to the ground to avoid any incoming missiles, hovering roughly a foot above the green. It took them a few seconds to notice the Nindroid patrol wasn't attacking, but rather looking around confused.

"Ohhhh… We are still invisible..." Nya slapped her forehead from her immature reaction, quickly looking to Ronin. "Think they heard us?"

His eyes were incredibly wide, adrenaline still racing. "YES. After those maneuvers, and their heightened robotic sensors, they DEFINITELY heard us." They both turned to see one look in their general direction before pointing at them. "Over there!"

"SHIT!"

"Well," Ronin shrugged before pressing a big red button. "Here goes nuthin'." A small torpedo launched from the invisible craft's lower hold. Once it was out of the hold, it could be plainly seen by the nindroids. But before any of them could run for cover, and 20 were disintegrated.

"Let's hope none of them got word out to their Master."

* * *

In the throne room of the Dark Palace, the Time Twins stood at either side of their master, who sat prominently on his throne. Large 100 ft. black pillars held the ceiling up, and 10 torches with purple fire lit up the room. **"Krux, where are they?"**

The elder time twin quickly put his hand over his earpiece before leaning forward towards his master. "They have just entered the Palace, My Emperor. Do you wish to see them now?"

Clearly annoyed by the query, The Overlord threw up all four arms out of impatience, causing both twins to take a step back. **"Yes! Send them in here NOW!"**

"As you wish, Master." He signaled at the two Stone Army warriors at the throne room's entrance, who immediately moved to open the large doorway. As the doors were pulled open, the three could clearly see General Kozu and Cryptor walking through, quickly followed by Sensei Yang and a dozen young Ninja in black and purple gi.

The two generals bowed to their creator and moved to either side, making the way for Yang. He bowed fully down onto one knee, staring at the throne. "My Emperor."

**"Rise, Yang. These are your first graduates?"**

He rose to his feet with a nod, turning to the 12 students behind him. "Yes, My Emperor. These 12 were the eldest of the new regime of Dark learners, 11 of which were bottom feeders in this very city. They are eager to prove themselves to you." The students all bowed to the Overlord in the same fashion as Yang. The Overlord, however, payed little attention as he turned his head back to Yang.

**"And the 12th?"**

Yang nodded to the one in front, whose black-and-purple gi style was a direct contrast to the others (he had black arms and a black hood, and a purple torso with black stripes.) The single student stood up and took off his hood, revealing none other than Gene.

"Gene here has proven invaluable to our project, becoming a prominent leader to these students. It is my recommendation that he is given leadership over this band of student, if you agree My Emperor." The Overlord stood up from the throne, grabbing his Dark Dragon Blade as he approached Gene. Yang stepped backwards, the other students remained bowing down in their Emperor's presence, and Gene stood perfectly still, showing no emotion.

**"I will be the judge of that, Yang." **He circled Gene, inspecting the young man as he did. Coming back to face him, the Overlord swiftly raised his Dark Dragon Blade to Gene's neck. The student didn't even bat an eye.

**"Impressive. I have been keeping a tab on you, Gene." **The ginger finally turned his head to look the Overlord in the eyes. "I am honored, My Emperor."

**"Yes, ever since you helped the Red Ninja kill Skylor." **Gene's stomach immediately dropped, worrying for his own safety now. "Um... M-my-"

One of the Overlord's black hands was held up to _shush _him. **"****You certainly proved your metal that day. First, killing the other students and Elemental Masters on their ship, then killing the other spy. You don't suffer rivals, Gene. That is why I am granting you leadership over the new regime of students. Your own taskforce of Ninja.****" **He rose his blade once more, this time placing it on his right and left shoulder in a knighting fashion.

The student exhaled in relief, bowing his head. "Thank you, My Emperor."

**"Rise." **The 11 other students rose to their feet, facing Gene and the Overlord. **"Your first task as the New Regime of the Dark Army: Find the surviving Ninja! My other forces have been... fruitless, thus far. A Nindroid caravan was attacked not only 20 minutes ago in the Jungle at the edge of Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Go there and pick up any trails you have. Even if it's not a Ninja, bring them here for my torture masters to take care of."**

Krux and Acronix grinned at the last statement. The 12 students all bowed forward. "We will not fail you, Master." In marching formation, they exited the room, along with Yang and the two generals, leaving the Overlord and his advisors.

**"No, you will not."**

* * *

The R.E.X. continued to fly just over the trees for the next hour while in camouflage to lose any trail they may have left. "Ronin, we need to get to Cyrus now!"

"I know that, but if we do so with an easy trail to follow, it would all be for nothing!" While she disagreed with the general action, the Master of water couldn't help but concede to his logic. "I suppose so. But it's been an hour already! Let's land now, the Safehouse is just below us!"

With a nod, Ronin set down the invisible R.E.X. in a clearing just in front of a massive tree. The two disembarked and nocked three times on the large tree. After several seconds of waiting, a doorway within the tree slid open, revealing an elevator similar to the one in the Monastery. Nya let out a small laugh as the elevator door opened, never failing to remember the similarity with Safehouse One and Zane's Birchwood Forest home.

Once the door opened, a very tired looking Cyrus was revealed. "Ah, finally!"

"Uh, how long you been going at it this time Borg?"

"No rest for the weary, Ronin! You must come in, now! I've FINALLY cracked it, and our time is short!" With the three boarding the elevator and the tree door sliding back into place, they failed to notice the 12 dark figures hiding in the trees. The one closest, who's color scheme was different from the other 11, shook his head with a wicked laugh.

"No, Cyrus. Your time's up."

* * *

**OK, I am really enjoying writing Gene's character this way.**

**I am glad I got this out now, I will have plenty of time to work on another, perhaps two other, chapters this weekend. I think this story will be over within a week and a half, but don't hold me to that! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	23. Uncovered

**SOME QUICK NOTES FOR MY READERS:**

**Here is precisely what you need to read from "The Knight's Journey" BESIDES the first 6 chapters in order to get a clear picture of the Ninjago lore side of that story in order to connect it to this one:**  
** \- Chapter 9 "A New Temple" (Skip to "Jay found himself standing in..." and read the rest of the chapter)**

** \- Chapter 11 "Why oh Why Me?" (Skip to "I am Jay Walker Ma'am..." and read the rest of the section.)  
** -  
** \- Chapter 13 "OK, What Now?" (Skip to "Jay opened his eye..." and read that section.) - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO READ!  
** -  
** \- The last section of Chapter 17 "The Calling Part 2" (Skip to "_I was born in a junkyard in a desert..._") - EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO READ!  
** -  
** \- ALL of Chapter 18 "A Distant Familiarity" (this WHOLE chapter focuses on Jay and Ninjago!)  
** -  
** \- Chapter 24 "The Reveal" (TWO sections to read! Skip to "Really, I should be thanking you Jay...," Then after that section, skip to "Ryot stared at the portal..." AND READ THE REST) - MAJOR connection to an earlier chapter of "The Great Game"**

** AND FINALLY, read the final section of the story Epilogue, Chapter 26 (skipping to "At the front of the...") YOU NEED TO READ THIS ONE TO UNDERSTAND THIS CHAPTER!**

**Please enjoy, comment and leave a review!**

**I own nada.**

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**Chapter 23: Uncovered**

Just outside the slave camp of Ninjago City, workers were currently busy building another grand statue of the Overlord, adding Dark matter to the concrete so that the statue would for ever have a dark purple glow. However, constant contact with the Dark Matter was extremely risky, resulting in hundreds of premature deaths every day.

At the foot of the statue, one worker finally gave in to the powerlessness the Dark matter pssessed her with, falling onto her side. The surrounding slaves murmured in a saddened lore, though none were strong enough to help her up. Finally, the Ultra Violet, who was stationed at the slave camp that morning, noticed the murmuring and walked over with a whip in hand.

"What is the meaning of this? Back to work, SLAVE!" Staring down maliciously at the body on the ground, the Biker General whipped the woman until she held her arms up in defense.

"P-p-pleeease… Noo morrrre… I d-don't hhhhave the stre-strength..." An incredibly weak Gayle Gossip, now bleeding from her cheek and lips, as well as her back, was pleading. The sight only made Ultra Violet eager for more.

"Ha! You shoulda thought about that before being a slave!" After whipping Gayle with three more slashes, she conceded and looked at the surrounding crowd. "GET BACK TO WORK! Our glorious Emperor wants this statue complete by tomorrow!" She walked away, forcing the crowd to scramble back to work and leaving the former reported bleeding out to death.

Until a man dressed in purple rags came to her with bandages and a small dose of medicine when Ultra Violet wasn't looking.

"M-mailman?" The former postal worker smiled lightly as he applied the gauze and bandages. "Shh. Try not to talk. This will heal in time."

That _almost _sparked a laugh from her. "N-no time allowed. They...They'll just put me back to work tomorrow."

As he finished applying the bandages, the Mailman sighed with a defeated tone. She was right. It was more than likely she'd be dead soon, but he was one of the few who still tried to hold onto hope. He stared up at the Palace with hatred.

_Someday, SOMEDAY SOON, you'll get what's comin' for you._

* * *

As the Overlord walked out from a high Palace hall, he stood on the balcony overlooked the airships that came from Nadakhan's fleet across the sea. With his Realm Crystal-infused powers, he is able to teleport the entirety of his army to any location he desired. The dozen ships that now came from the sea were lead by the two-faced warrior doubloon, heading up to the _Garmatron II _to deliver their cargo. Each ship carried a freight of Dark Matter the pirates had mined from the Overlord's original homestead: The Dark Island.

The essence that was now used to impose fear across all of Ninjago, the Overlord reminisced, was once used to fuel a small tank that helped him impose his rule for a day. He chuckled to himself at the memory as the ships flew into the _Garmatron II_'s bay over the Palace.

**"Simpler plans, for simpler times."**

"Pardon, my Emperor?"

The four-armed ruler turned back from the sight to face his advisor. **"Nothing you need concern yourself with, Acronix. What is it?"**

Acronix shifted his wandering gaze from the _Garmatron II _to look his master in the eyes. "King Pythor and Queen Aspheera have sent their entourage from the Capital Pyramid to deliver their annual tribute to you, Master."

The Overlord sneered lightly. **"Ugh. One thing I wasn't expecting from this after we obtained domination was _the politics. _Very well, we shall meet them in the Throne room. Is there anything else?"**

"Yes, Master. Gene has located an off-site hideout holding at least three individuals: the mercenary Ronin, the Master of Water Nya, and Cyrus Borg. They are currently awaiting your orders." The news sent the Overlord into an immediate shift from bored presence to intense focus.

**"ALREADY? Damn, he has done so well in so little time. Quite promising... So, Ronin, eh? Then it is reasonable to assume that the Mechanic is in their ranks as well. This _Resistance _has slowly grown from the Ninja's pitiful attacks to an idealistic movement." **

He turned to walk out towards the balcony, overlooking the entire city from the view under the black sky and the _Garmatron II. _Acronix walked right behind him, beholding the same sight.

**"Look down, Acronix. The people here, they cry for order. They NEED it. My righteous fist is the only guiding hand they'd ever need. And yet still, after four years of total order, they still desire something else. They are pawns, Acronix. Pawns in the Great Game that I have been playing since my creation. First it was with the First Spinjitzu Master. Then, with Wu. Briefly, I met my match against Jay Walker, but he is no more. Now, I am faced against Lloyd and his lackeys. Their cowardice is the only thing that has kept them alive... until now."**

His head turned sideways towards his advisor, who stood ready for orders. **"Order Gene and his men to attack; destroy any means of escape for our enemies, and bring Cyrus Borg back alive. I know _precisely _what to do with him."**

Acronix bowed and turned to leave before stopping himself. "And the others, Master?"

**"They are irrelevant."**

The Time Twin ran to belay his masters' orders, leaving the Overlord to stand in awe at his empire. The screams from those suffering below, the joy felt by his enforcers as they did their good work, even the slight fear he could sense from his own subordinates whenever they were in his presence, it all gave him a feeling of serenity. He breathed it all in before staring across the fields, towards the mountain ranges thousands of miles away, suddenly angered at the thought of Lloyd.

**_I__ DIDN'T KILL YOU THAT DAY SO THAT YOU WOULD KNOW FAILURE, LLOYD. BUT DON'T WORRY. YOUR TIME IS COMING. VERY, VERY SOON._**

* * *

Shortly after Nya and Ronin left, the remaining members of the Resistance gathered to speculate what Cyrus was working on. Kai, Cole, and Clutch suspected some sort of new weapon that could combat Dark Matter. The Mechanic, Zane, Pixal, Karlof, and Brad were all theorizing it was a new type of mech. Dareth was arguing that it had to be a shrinking pill to make the _Garmatron II _smaller_._

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, Dareth. Why would Cyrus waste his genius on something like that?"

"I don't know, I'm just trying to be creative!" As the speculation continued loudly, Lloyd pressed his fingers against his temples in frustration. "QUIET."

The noise immediately silenced, all heads turning to the young Sensei as he opened his eyes to look at them. "I know there is nothing we can do right now but speculate. But arguing about what it _might _be isn't going to solve anything!" He pointed to Clutch with an authoritative swagger.

"Clutch, you stay by the computer in case we get any more signals from the others. Karlof, Mechanic, I want you two to fix up the _Land bounty_. Its cloaking field was a little late to respond on the last run. Brad, hit the training course again. The rest of you, come with me." He walked through the small crowd towards the elevator, followed by Cole, Dareth, and Kai.

* * *

As the elevator door _ding_ed open to reveal the underground laboratory known as Safehouse One, Nya and Ronin looked around in amazement. Previously, only Pixal, Zane, and Lloyd had been here besides Cyrus.

The entire room was dimly lit. While it was smaller than the old main room of Borg Tower, it had far more within it. Across the walls and floor, old blueprints and wires were scattered. Ronin noticed a couple of shut down Nindroids reminiscent to Cryptor, except these were white instead of Black. Their scattered parts and unfinished legs suggested they were cast out as unfinished projects. "Quite the scenery ya got here, Borg."

"Yes, yes, yes. I have not had much time to clean up, but it has been worth it. For you see..."

He wheeled around a small husk of junk, revealing a large machine with a ten foot wide whole in it's center. "I have FINALLY cracked it!"

Nya and Ronin looked to each other in confusement, obvious concern for Cyrus's sanity expressed on their faces. "Cracked..._what, _Cyrus?"

A clear smile spread across the middle-aged man's face as he wheeled to the side of the Machine. "Do you remember that fateful day over ten years ago? It had been six months since Jay sacrificed himself to lock the Overlord away, and the Dark Army's forces retreated into the desert? The day that Ninjago City stood still, and a sign came from unknown origins that dark times were ahead?"

Nya's eyes widened from realization. "You don't mean..." She turned to the machine, realizing what the large whole in its center was for. "Holy shit."

"Yes, Nya. After 10 years of retracing the signature left behind, I have fulfilled my promise! I have unlocked the key to wherever-or _whoever-_sent this dark energy. Once we bring this machine back to the Resistance, we can go there ourselves, and come back with the same power to defeat the Dark Army!"

Ronin stepped forward cautiously. "Yeah, but Cyrus... that power, whatever it is, brought back the Overlord! There is no way we know for sure those forces are friendly!"

"What choice do we have, Ronin? Everyday, children are ripped from their parents arms, enlisted into his New Regime of child soldiers! Innocent people are enslaved, worked tirelessly, and butchered in the thousands! Ever since the Dark Army destroyed all traces of travelers tea, and the Overlord has the Realm Crystal's power, this machine is our ONLY hope of helping those who still need it!"

Nya nodded. "You may be right, Cyrus. This machine could very well be useful." She turned to a worried Ronin. "But we will NOT go into this half-hazardly. We'll take it back to Safehouse Zero and let LLoyd decide on the best course of action." They both nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Ronin, if you and Nya could help me move this onto the elevator, I will-" The **BOOM**ing sound of a large explosion interrupted him mid-sentence. "What was that?"

All three rushed over to the security cameras to see. "FUCK!"

The R.E.X., that is, what remained of it, was on fire. Now uncloaked, it's red pieces were blackened by an explosive force and the engulfing flames. 12 dark figures began to walk out of the surrounding trees and bushes towards the giant tree's hidden elevator entrance. Leading them was a familiar face with his mask off, holding twin katanas.

Nya's fists tightened at the sight of him. "GENE."

His evil stare looked around the door's entrance until it stared at the hidden camera. _"Knock knock! Hello, Nya! Cyrus, it's a pleasure knowing you weren't _incinerated _along with the rest of your tower. I suppose that means Clutch is alive too. Swell! Care to let me and my friends in? We brought party favors!" _As Gene finished talking, the 11 others behind him brought out an assortment of weapons, ranging from swords with laser-induced tips, Nindroid axes, explosives, and specialized guns. After a few seconds, the one with explosives began to set them up around the elevator door.

Nya put her Samurai X helmet on. Ronin hung his head in a surrendering fashion at the sight. "There's no way we can fight them without at least one of us getting killed."

"No, we can fight them! We can-"

"NO, Nya. Ronin is correct." They both turned to a saddened Cyrus Borg. "Unfortunately, there is no scenario in which we can all escape. But there is _this." _He pressed on a small remote in his pocket, starting up the machine with a _whirrrrr. _

"Cyrus, what are you doing?"

"We have no choice, Nya. We must go through the portal. Once we get through, we won't need the machine to reopen it, so if whatever on the other side is in fact unfriendly, we can simply escape back to Safehouse Zero!"

Before either of them could protest the explosives set up the elevator caused a significantly louder **BOOM. **After a few moments, he distant echoing _grunts_ suggested Gene and his companions were climbing down the shaft.

"We have to hurry!" Cyrus rolled towards the machine typing in the coordinates of the signature left behind from the mysterious portal from ten years ago. "OK, it's in!"

To Nya and Ronin's astonishment, a small purple portal began to take shape in front of them, with a KRSH sound. Cyrus began to roll around from the side to get beside them. "Ok, we will jump in on three. One, two-"

A small grappling hook wrapped around Cyrus's body and pulled him off his chair, rendering him unable to move. Ronin and Nya looked to see Gene pulling the man towards him. "Three. Kill them!" Two of the black-and-purple ninja pulled out their guns, blasting at them.

Ronin's wings shot out from behind them and shielded them from the blasts. In the confusion, Cyrus looked to them catching Ronin's gaze. "GO!"

He nodded, grabbing Nya tightly as they flew towards the portal.

"NO! STOP THEM!" But it was too late. Nya and Ronin rammed straight through the portal, the last words heard before the machine shut down from the blasts being him yelling "AAAAAAAUUUUGH!" and her responding with "LOOK OUT!"

As the 12 Ninja and Cyrus stared at the collapsing portal and the surrounding lab beginning to burn, Gene signaled his men to retreat back up. "Our Emperor will not be pleased they escaped... But no matter." He stared down menacingly at Cyrus's feeble body.

"We have what we came for."

* * *

OH BOY, I'm getting excited now! Who knows where Nya and Ronin are? Please read the chapters listed above from my other story if you haven't already.

PLEASE COMMENT AND REVIEW!


	24. Laid to Waste

**OK, we are in the final chapters now. I can't specify how many at this point, because I'm debating between splitting one or two into three or four, but I will be done by next Friday.**

**AGAIN, you have to read the specified parts of A Knight's Journey (and perhaps even the whole thing) to understand the whole of this one.**

**Shorter chapter.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 24: Laid to Waste

Ninjago City was anything but silent. The cracking of whips, vibrations of the machinery, groans of the slaves, and the reactions from the deaths of each slave caused a panicked stir within the atmosphere. The constant _whirr_ing of the _Garmatron II _and it's engines releasing a black smog that darkened the sky also continued the cycle of noise.

Still, the screams of Cyrus Borg pierced through them all.

Within an hour after his capture, he was brought to the top of the Palace's northern tower. There, he was at the mercy of Krux and Acronix as Gene watched with a charming glee. Cyrus was strapped to a metal table with nothin but a dim bulb overhead as the only source of light. The windows were boarded closed, yet his screams tore through the cracks as Krux and Acronix had their fun with him.

"P-please. No more!" But to his dismay, Krux approached him slowly with his right hand glowing orange, aiming straight as his body.

"It's rewind time." He shot his reversal-time beam from his hand, surrounding his entire body below the head. Acronix walked past his brother with his right hand glowing green, aiming right at Cyrus's face.

"I don't know, brother. I prefer to speed things up!" He shot a green speed-time beam, encompassing Cyrus's head. To the man's horror, his body began to revert back to it's younger stages, first to his 30's, then 20's, then it began to shrink as it hit the teens.

His head, on the other hand, felt as though it was unraveling as his skin on his face and neck began to sag, and his hair grayed. The entire process was excruciating. "AAUGH!"

Both of the brothers smiled at the obvious pain they were causing as they stopped shooting the beams. "You see, Mr. Borg, my brother Acronix and I were cheated out of our powers by Wu and Garmadon, back when he was still a _good guy. _But thanks to the ultimate power that our beloved Emperor beholds, he was able to grant us our powers back shortly after his return. As you can tell, our gifts make our jobs as torture masters quite... proficient."

Acronix nodded in agreement. "We are both incredibly patient men, too. Fortunately for you, we can do this forever." His fist began to emit green again, this time aiming at his body, and Krux aimed his orange hand at the head. Before Cyrus could protest, they reverted each process slowly, turning him back to his normal self. The pain was worse than before.

"AAAAUUGH!"

**"That should be enough, torture masters." **They both turned to see the Overlord standing through the doorway of the chamber, Gene already kneeling on one knee with his head bowed down. The twins followed his lead. **"Stand."**

He walked towards Cyrus with a grin as he noticed the anguish the man was in. **"Well done, all three of you. The damages you invoked on his mind should make him more... _susceptible. _And Gene, you not only captured him on your first mission as a leader, but you also killed the Master of Water Nya and the traitor Ronin."**

Gene gulped with a sweat quickly developing. "Actually... my Emperor, Nya and Ronin managed to escape."

The Dark Master turned towards the assassin, fury in his purple eyes. **"WHAT?!"**

Gene took a slight step back as he explained. "Cyrus opened a portal and they jumped through as we snagged him. My team already reviewed the surveillance footage: They apparently went to wherever the dark power that Garmadon absorbed to bring you back came from."

The Overlord paused for a moment as he processed this, still staring at a hesitant Gene. As quickly as it appeared, the fury in his eyes died as he laughed. **"HA! Fools. The darkness that brought me back is from even beyond my reach. The power that Garmadon and I both sensed came from a different plane of existence; one of chaos and war."** He turned towards Cyrus. **"****Whatever they have found there, Cyrus, has already killed them. So thanks."**

Cyrus's eyes widened. "N-no!"

**"Yes. And I am afraid that you shall also be _indirectly _responsible for the deaths of the rest of your friends!" **He placed all four hands on Cyrus's temples, closing his own eyes.

**"The Twins here have weakened your profoundly strong mind, Cyrus. Your mental blocks would be effective even against me if your mind wasn't already scrambled from the psychological pain you have just been through. Now let's see here..."**

The Twins and Gene watched as their master silently scanned Cyrus's guarded memories with slight difficulty. **"Mmmm, no that's not it. Nope. Wow, you really did look like an idiot as a kid. Mmm, nope. AHA!" **They both opened their eyes suddenly as the Overlord stepped back with pleased shock and slight self-shame.

**"Damn, I should have known. Thank you, Cyrus." **The prisoner shook his head silently with tears slowly streaming down his face, realizing that he had failed his friends. The Overlord laughed at his pain, then pointed to Gene.

**"Gene, you take him down to the cell. You and the New Regime will be safeguarding my palace and the city. Krux, Acronix, recall EVERYONE. It is time we finish this."**

The three bowed in respect, and as Gene uncuffed Cyrus, Krux hesitantly approached him. "My Emperor... if we recall _everyone, _how will Gene and his 11 companions hold control over everyone in the city? And what of all of our other work-camps and mines across the realm?"

The Overlord smiled wickedly.** "Order Cryptor to engage the Prime Protocol."**

* * *

In the workcamp outside of the Palace, everyone was gathered into the center. Despite the thousands of deaths that took place, the area was still extremely overcrowded. The Mailman pushed through the crowd to the residential doctor, who was also a slave.

"DOC!"

"Mailman! What is going on?"

"I don't know, we were all working and then they told us to drop our tools and come here. Where is Gayle?" The doc hung his head lowly. "I'm sorry, Mailman."

Even though they both knew it was going to happen, the pain they felt from another death felt just as raw and fresh as if it was their own child's death. "OK, YA RUNTS! GET IN THERE!" Everyone turned to see Killow throw a few stray workers into the crowd. Now he faced them all along with Ultra Violet, General Cryptor, General Kozu, and a small assortment of their forces.

"You are probably wondering why you are all here."

Within the crowd, a weak voice cried out. "Oh no! They're going to kill us!"

The four generals let out a laugh at the reaction. "No, no no… This is much worse! Cryptor?" As the Big Man turned to the Nindroid General, he was beamed up to the _Garmatron II _with the other Dark Army forces until it was just the Cryptor. Before anybody could even move closer to understand what was happening, Cryptor pressed a button on his wrist, and a small energy wave blew from a machine behind him throughout the crowd just as he was beamed up.

Now, every single worker stood in place, their muscles frozen, eyes white, and their minds adrift in a different reality as their energy was slowly being drained. Across the realm, in every other work camp and mine, the resident Dark Army forces repeated this process until every single citizen of Ninjago besides The Dark Army and the resistance was subject to the Prime Protocol.

* * *

With the others down in the cave doing as Lloyd ordered, the four from the original crew of Ninja stood outside the entrance of the Monastery, to the discomfort of Zane, Kai, and Cole. "Lloyd, we shouldn't be out here. We are too exposed."

The Green Sensei sat down in a cross-legged style by the edge of the tree, closing his eyes. "True, Cole. But when was the last time we all stood out here? When Jay was still with us? And besides, no Dark Army scouts have been in this area for days."

"Precisely! They are overdue, and could be here at any moment!" The Master of Ice's logic did not seem to cut through the serene moment Lloyd was intent on having. "If they do come, we have the high ground. We can hide before anyone spots us. Now sit."

The other three did as instructed, sitting in a similar fashion as Lloyd and breathing in the cool air, staring at the dark sky from thousands of miles away. Even Kai had to admit that the quiet was a nice change of pace from how they have been going about their days since the Overlord took over. "I missed this. Reminds me of-" He couldn't say the name, but they all knew he meant Wu.

"Yes, we all miss our Sensei, brother. But he is still with us, just as-AUGH!" Zane grabbed his head in a sudden pain, breaking the moment of peace as the other three turned and got up to approach him. "Zane, what is it? Is it your sixth sense?"

"I think... Something is wrong. As if the pain and anguish felt by the oppressed people of Ninjago just stagnated." The other three approached him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure, but-" His eyes widened with realization. "I think they have Cyrus."

Kai grabbed Zane's shoulders. "WHAT? AND NYA AND RONIN?" The Nindroid shook his head. "No, I can't sense them... It's as if they've disappeared."

That didn't ease the Master of Fire. "Are you saying my sister is DEAD?!"

"NO! I would know if that were the case. I think... I think it has something to do with whatever Cyrus wanted to show us. I sense it." After a few moments, Kai let him go through heavy breaths. Lloyd nodded and looked to Cole.

"Alright, we need to prepare for anything. Cyrus has a strong mind, he won't break easily, but we can't be too sure. Cole, go down and tell the others to prepare for anything." The Master of Earth nodded and ran to the elevator, quickly boarding it.

"Zane, Kai, the three of us will stay up here and scout for any sign of-" The crackling sound of a portal forming overhead interrupted Lloyd midsentence. All three looked up to see the _Garmatron II _rapidly emerging through, floating overhead by a good few thousand feet.

"-_Them._"

Within the span of 1.0134 seconds, the portal closed behind the craft, the three Ninja started to run back towards the ruins of the monastery for cover, and the _Garmatron II _released a hellfire of Dark Matter ballistic missiles at the base of the mountain, laying waste to the foundation of the Monastery that stood for millennia since the creation of Ninjago.

* * *

**BOOM. Please leave a review, I already have the next chapter written up (IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN SINCE I STARTED MY LAST STORY, THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS) **

**I will likely post it in a day or two so that I do not overwhelm you.**


	25. The Final Battle Begins

**Here it is! The ultimate face-off starts!**

**IMPORTANT: YOU NEED to read my other story for this to make sense! DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T!**

** I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 25: The Final Battle Begins**

What was once the mountain where the Monastery stood, rubble remained. Bits and pieces of the sacred remains of the Monastery were spread across the stunted mountain of distorted rocks. Overlooking the scene it had made, the _Garmatron II_'s dark matter engines released smog into the air, blocking the sun and turning the sky black.

In the center of the rubble, Lloyd lay down as he slowly regained consciousness to see Kai walk towards him. "Phew, you're alive!"

"Yeah, but... how? Those ballistics should have eviscerated us WITH the mountain!"

"I don't know, I guess it's just dumb luck. Or perhaps they had the worst possible aim. Come on, let's find the others!"

Kai helped Lloyd to his feet, allowing him to look around and see that the mountain they had previously stood on was now a significantly smaller pile of rubble. Bits of the rebuilt Monastery, rock, and metal polluted the surrounding desert. Lloyd looked up to see Zane standing over an edge in the distance. They both ran his way to see what he was looking at.

Roughly 500 feet away from them, the Overlord sat on a rock, with his Dragon Blade placed firmly in the ground and his golden helmet resting on top of it. He was just sitting there, looking at the ground peacefully.

"What's he been doing?"

Zane just shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. He just beamed down from the ship, and sat there."

"Where are the others?" Kai looked around.

"Somewhere under all this. I'm sure Cole made it to the cave in time." Zane nodded in agreement, but they all knew not even the cave was safe from the blasts. Lloyd's fist lit up in anger. Kai unsheathed his sword. Zane looked at them both. "You do realize it's a trap, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't really much care."

"Good. As long as we're all in agreement." He took out his shurikens, and Lloyd lead the way as they walked down to face their adversary. "Let's finish what Jay started."

They walked forward to the Garmadon-Overlord fusion with their guards up. But to their surprise, the hellbeast looked up at them with a bored look. As he turned his head to face rubble, cave wreckage, and bits of Monastery left lying around, he chuckled.

"**You were foolish. Foolish and careless. When I was locked back in my dormant state, and my armies fell back, you considered your victory as an absolute."**

Lloyd walked up to face him directly, while Kai walked to face his right, and Zane his left.

"**You ignored the signs that my return was imminent. You dismissed my armies as small, petty attacks. No matter what happens, you never have a lasting peace. Because you cannot grasp what is necessary to achieve it. You failed to realize this, you failed to accept that I win. You could not live with your own failure. And where did that lead you? Back to me."**

"Yeah, we're all kinds of stubborn." Kai said, holding his sword up to strike.

The Overlord chuckled. **"****I'm**** grateful. Because now, I know what I must do."** Standing up, he placed his golden helmet back on, lighting his eyes up, and picked up his Dark Dragon Blade. **"I will wipe out your resistance once and for all, and using my Dark Army which Garmadon has formed for me over the years, I will bring across a new order. All of the realms of creation will know me, and my followers, as the ultimate power. A new peace will be achieved, and new life will be born."**

Lloyd looked at him, sickened. "Born out of blood."

**"They'll never know it. Because you will be dead."**

Kai screamed as he raised his blade and ran to strike, while Zane through a pair of shurikens and Lloyd flanked his red comrade. Quickly using spinjitzu, The Overlord deflected the shurikens, which hit Zane in the chest, and absorbed Kai, but Lloyd conjured up his own tornado before he could be absorbed as well. And the duel had begun.

* * *

Hundreds of feet underneath the rubble, within the majority of the cave's wreckage, Cole coughed as he and Clutch called out for anyone else. "Is anyone else down here?" He heard the muffled sound of Dareth yelling back "Here!" Rushing through the falling rocks of the inner cave, the Black ninja saw the Land Bounty completely crushed by rocks, along with the mechs. He picked up one boulder, where he saw Dareth and Pixal struggling to move. "Come on, guys, let's get up."

As the two picked them up, they all looked around for the others. "Lloyd? Brad? Mechanic?"

"Kai? Karloff? Zane?" A rock burst open across the cave, revealing a battered Karloff, with Brad and The Mechanic running towards them. "Cole! Over here!" The other four ran their way, avoiding the ensuing debris. "Where are the others?"

"We couldn't find them!"

They were lucky to even have survived the wave of ballistics sent at the mountain. Pixal looked at the cave closing in. "We have to find a way out of here. The docking bay is crushed, and so are all our vehicles!" Cole saw The Mechanic and Karloff grin at each other. "What?"

"Not _all _of the Vehicles." Pointing back the way the came, the Mechanic showed them what they were talking about. Clutch grinned.

"Perfect. Let's get it running!"

* * *

Flying back from the punch he had just received, Zane slammed into a chunk of metal, rendering him unconscious. Kai spun around the Overlord in an attempt to outflank him. Lloyd tried to keep the Dark Master's attention on him by screaming. Both of their attempts meant nothing.

By simply swinging his dark sword, he knocked Kai out of his tornado and grabbed him by the throat midair. Ramming him into the ground, Kai dropped his sword, giving the Overlord the ample opportunity to raised the dark sword, and as he swung down, Kai raised his hands to stop it. Although he kept it from impacting his chest, the blade was quickly cutting into his hand.

That is, until Lloyd's green tornado spun into the back of the Overlord, knocking him off balance and letting Kai go, though the red Ninja was too shocked to get up.

Now the Overlord's attention was on Lloyd. He raised the blade to hit Lloyd's golden sword, and the two clashed. Lloyd kicked at his legs, but to no avail. He was too strong, and the Ninja was tired. Noticing his advantage, the Overlord raised his two left fists and clobbered his face and right side. As Lloyd backed up, the dark blade swung at his head. In the last second, he raised his golden blade, but the force was so strong that it shattered.

Lloyd gasped at the sight of his broken blade, but The Overlord gave him no time to process it before spinning and hurtling him several hundred feet into the rubble, where he stared up at the black sky, beaten to near submission. He had no fight left in him.

The Overlord, on the other hand, smiled as if he just woke up from a long rest, and as he gazed over the field of victory, he focused back on his Green enemy.

**"You know something Lloyd? In all of my years of destruction, all this violence, and the butchering... it was never personal. I simply needed to kill in order to establish my Order. But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to you and your _pathetic_, _stubborn_ little Resistance... I'm going to enjoy it. Very, very much."**

As if on cue, several beams shot down from the flying _Garmatron II_, and out of the lights appeared the entire force of the Dark Army. Every single faction; Skulkin, Serpentine, Stone Army, Nindroids, The New Anacondrai, Ghosts, The Sky Pirates, Vermillion, the Sons of Garmadon, Dragon Hunters, Oni, Pyro Vipers and Blizzard Samurai, they all marched forward by the thousands to form up behind their Master.

Emerging from the vast bay of the _Garmatron II _were _s_everal of their smaller ships, including the _Misfortunes Keep_, one-manned pirate flyers, Raid-Zeppelins, Bladecopters, Skulkin Copters, Rattle-copters, Nindroid Jets, Dragon-hunting jets, and the Blizzard Dragon Boreal with General Vex riding on its back all flew above the Army.

Beamed from behind and the sides were the ground vehicles: Skulkin bikes and trucks, Rattle-cycles, Stone army bikes, Nindroid Mechs and tanks, New Anacondrai Mechs, Ghost Bikes, Sky-Pirate Catapults, Vermillion Mechs, SoG Bikes, and several Diezelnaughts.

Riding through the center of the Army's bulk was FireFang with Aspheera on it's back and hundreds of smaller firefangs and the Giant Anacondrai Serpent with Pythor riding its back.

The rest of the collective generals and faction leaders were all beamed in the front line, right behind their Master.

The Overlord smirked as he peered at Lloyd lying on the ground several hundred feet away from him.

But Lloyd could only pick himself up. As he saw the _Garmatron II_ beam down more and more waves of the Dark Army by the thousands, eventually millions, he stood up. After he picked up his broken sword, he grunted slowly and shuffled forward, putting his mask on with his twitching hands.

Shaking his head at the pathetic sight before him, The Dark Master chuckled some more.

Lloyd walked into the limelight that the smog had made, as if he was symbolically now the only being that stood between the millions of Dark Army soldiers and their total conquest of every realm. He shuffled forward when he heard some static through his mask's communicator, causing him to stop.

"_-zzt-Lloyd, can you hear me?-_"

Stopping abruptly, he put his hand up to hear it more clearly. "_-zzt-Lloyd, it's Ronin. Do you copy?-zzt-_"

A light was glowing behind him, though he didn't turn to face it until Ronin's voice said, very clearly now:

"On your left."

Lloyd turned to see a bright blue portal forming in front of him, and out of the hazy blue light he saw three figures. The one on the left was Nya, in her Full Samurai-X gear. On the right was some lean yellow-and-blue robot carrying two large pistols. But in the middle...

Lloyd almost passed out at the sight of the scarred, chiseled, one-eyed, but undoubtedly recognizable Jay Walker.

Finally, after ten grueling years, the Blue Ninja had returned from the dead.

* * *

**(FROM HERE ON OUT IT WILL BE 3RD PERSON OMNISCIENT)**

Jay nodded to Lloyd, and above them flew Ronin from out of the portal, alongside a few Mandalorians. As Lloyd looked up at them, he saw hundreds of other large portals beginning to form.

As the trio walked forward, behind them were Jay's personal Clone squadron, along with the full 501st corps.

Anakin and Padme walked out of one, followed by platoons of Naboo Warriors. Obi Wan walked out of another, being flanked the 212th and several other marching Mandalorians and Bo-Katan. Behind General Kalani marched platoons of Commando droids and Droideka's. Maul, Savage, and Ventress walked through with their Orange blades, and Mother Talzin floated behind them with her army of Nightsisters and Nightbrothers. Behind Several Jedi came out their respective divisions of clone troopers. Ahsoka jumped out of a Portal to line up next to MoBy, Jay, and Nya.

Kai got up from where he lay, regaining full consciousness, and stared speechless at the sight before him.

Zane smiled as he got up, knowing that they had done it. They held out.

Hondo Ohnaka emerged alongside his large crew, along with several Bounty Hunters. More B1 and B2 Battle droids came out of portals. Many portals also began to form above those on the ground, and several small ships slowly came through, including Vulture droids, Clone Gunships with troopers manning turrets, Headhunter fighters, ARC-170 Fighters, the _Slave 1_ being Piloted by Boba and Bossk, Y-wings, Naboo Starfighters, and Mandalorian fighters.

The Overlord only stared in awe at the sight before him. But he knew he still had the numbers and upper hand with the _Garmatron II._

As their forces kept on stepping through the portals and lining up, Jay and MoBy stopped next Lloyd, now at the front face of their full army. Jay turned his head to his mechanical companion. "Is that everyone?"

With his blasters already pointing towards the Dark Army, MoBy turned his head back to Jay. "What, you wanted _more?_

They all looked up at the sound of a thundering storm coming from a few miles behind them, and as Jay smirked, a gargantuan-sized portal formed thousands of feet in the air, out of which _The Wisp _pierced through, with all central and secondary cannons aimed at the _Garmatron II_.

Bursting through the rubble, the old earth driller pierced through, revealing Cole, Clutch, Karloff, Pixal, The Mechanic, Brad, and Dareth coming out of the tunnel to view their reinforcements. Cole, Brad, and Dareth bared their masks and weapons. Pixal raised her sai. Clutch aimed his revolver. Karloff raised his fists. The mechanic put his real hand on Karloff's shoulder and lifted up his cannon arm with a grin. "Hell, yeah."

Lloyd stood proudly by his old friend's side as he smirked at the Overlord, who now looked concerned. As the rest of Jay's army lined in formation to face off the Dark Army, Lloyd yelled

"Ninja!"

And he raised his broken sword with glowing green eyes. "GO."

Jay ignited his blade, and as he gave out a battle cry, all of his Galactic Army charged forward. Ships and speeders sped forwards blasting. _The Wisp's _cannons fired at the _Garmatron II_.

Regaining his serious expression, The Overlord raised his sword in a forward motion, signaling his own army to charge. The _Garmatron II_ raised its shields, deflecting the blasts. All of the smaller air ships started to head forward, guns hot. The ground troops and vehicles ran to meet their enemies in the field.

The Final Battle for Ninjago had begun.

* * *

**WHEW. PUH-LEASE REVIEW. I will update this weekend.**


	26. Battle on Two Fronts

**Heya Heya! A LOT happens in this chapter, pay attention!**

**Quick note: I probably won't be able to update for at least a few days after this chapter. If I am, then they will be shorter chapters. An unforeseen event has occurred. BUT DON'T WORRY! I still have the last few chapters in their written stages.**

**This is my longest chapter ever.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Battle on Two Fronts**

Ships rammed forward. Speeders charged through Dark Army members. Ground forces on both sides ran forward. Clones and droids alike let out their own artillery, cutting down hundreds of the Overlord's forces at a time. In turn, as the Galactic forces charged, Nindroids and Pirates le their own shots cut down several random soldiers too.

Then, as the two armies clashed in hand-to-hand distance on the battlefield, chaos ensued.

* * *

On the bridge of _The Wisp, _deck officers were running frantically to keep their shields raised and their cannons aimed at the _Garmatron II._ Admiral Yularen gave out his orders in haste, making sure they provided whatever assistance necessary to the ground forces. "Keep your focus on their flagship! That beast of a vessel must remain distracted by our artillery up here, so they do not annihilate Fleet Admiral Walker and our own men!"

"A sound plan, Admiral."

The middle aged man turned in the chaos to the Chiss Thrawn, who accompanied the crew on their new mission: To rescue Jay Walker's home from the threat of the Dark Army. Within an hour, two strangers came through a portal as Jay had ten years ago, though this time, they were greeted with open arms. The two strangers, who identified themselves as Nya Smith and Ronin, also came from Ninjago, and they apparently came to request aid to save their homeland.

Upholding his oath to keep peace and provide aid where necessary, Fleet Admiral Jay Walker immediately recalled all of the Republic's allies and opened hundreds of new copied portals to bring the Galactic Army against the Dark Army. And the Chiss Representative joined them for tactical assistance.

"If I may, Admiral Yularen, while _The Wisp _retains its focus on the enemies flagship, I suggest communicating to our own in-orbit fighters below to focus on THAT vessel." His blue hand extended towards the outside of the ship's observation deck. Yularen followed it's trail to one ship that stood out from the rest of the Dark Army aircrafts: The _Misfortune's Keep._

"Why?"

"I have observed that the majority of their fleet is made up of this particular faction; preliminary scans indicate that the on-board computer systems of this particular vessel act as the control hub of their crafts. If our ships can take it out, we will snuff out a large portion of their fleet."

Yularen nodded, agreeing with the Chiss. He turned to the nearest officer. "You heard him! Relay the command to Hawk's squadron, we need to take out that ship!"

* * *

Lloyd used the shattered end of his blade to cut down several Oni approaching him. A single serpentine warrior almost got the drop on him, and as he turned to see its rusted blade swing down, a bolt of lightning blasted the snake into ashes. The Green Ninja turned to see Jay run up to his side, a mature grin on his scarred face.

"Hey, Lloyd. Long time." Words could not express the emotions he was feeling right now. Confusion? Anger? Joy? Ignoring his instincts to focus on the choas around them, he tackled Jay with a hug as tears began to stream down his eyes. Several of Jay's allies circled around them so they would not be attacked.

"LONG TIME? That's all you've got to say, ya' jerk?" He choked out short laughs through his tears, punching Jay lightly on the arm. "And what happened..." He gestured at the scars and eyepatch. "Up here? And this getup? AND who the hell are these people? AND IS THAT A SPACESHIP?"

Jay couldn't help but chuckle at the confusion. "It's a long story. I'll tell you everything when we are done here, and in turn, I want to know everything that's happened here. But in short: I've become the leader of a galactic armada tasked with preserving the peace of the Galaxy to which I was teleported when I defeated the Overlord ten years ago. The day you thought I died."

"...WOW."

"OH! I made lots of new friends, mastered my powers, and discovered new ones that I never knew I had before."

"Like what?"

"Like- THIS!" He pushed Lloyd to the side and held up his left arm toward an incoming Pirate Raider missile. Lloyd hadn't seen it coming, but to his shock, as Jay extended his arm, the missile slowed and then stopped midair. "How...?"

"The Force. Again, a long story!" Jay twisted his hand, turning the missile backwards and let it go, allowing it to hit a random Rattlecopter as it crushed the main Fire Fang. "But it sure is handy! Now, come on, Lloyd, we've got a Realm to save!"

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

On the ground, in the midst of all the chaos, Cole and Kai ran to fight alongside Nya and a few of the men she had with her. "SIS!" They cut through two Nindorids and a Pyro Viper as they each embraced her in a quick hug, which she gladly returned before focusing on their surroundings again. "I thought they killed you!"

"They almost had. But now..."

"NOW... Jay! That's really him?!" Cole looked off to the side to see the scarred ginger they once knew as their brother cut through a surrounding flank of Nindroids like cake without batting his one eye. "What happened to him?"

"It's apparently a long story, he'll fill us in on the details assuming we survive this!" Kai was about to respond with a quick jab before two small tornadoes approached them; one of Wind, one of Fire. The Clones and battle droids that surrounded Kai and Nya noticed them first, quickly pointing to them. "Spinjitzu tornadoes! Men, remember Admiral Walker's training! AIM FOR THE BASE!"

To the collective surprise of Nya, Cole, and Kai, the strangely uniformed troopers had been well-trained by Jay. With their blasters aimed carefully, they shot a flurry of blue lasers at the bases of the tornadoes, knocking both Morro and Aspheera off-balance and crashing to the ground. But before the troops or the three Ninja could make a move, Morro let out a huge gust of wind, knocking all of the troops onto their backs.

"Well done, Morro. It is time we end this game." With the first Forbidden Scroll wrapped around her scepter in hand, the Serpentine Queen grinned at the two Ninja and strangely-dressed female warrior. "I will finish the Red one. There's only room for one Master of Fire. You take the Black one."

"With pleasure!" Morro summoned a cursed blade and charged towards Cole, and Aspheera sped towards Kai.

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

Zane ran to Pixal and joined her in fighting back-to-back, fending off several Dark Army soldiers at once. With her sai, Pixal killed several Serpentine, shattered incoming Blizzard Samurai, and sliced attacking SoG bikers. With his Elemental powers and his shurikens, Zane froze dozens of Pyro Vipers, burst Skulkin warriors and vermillion alike to pieces, and even managed to kill a few stray Oni warriors.

"Keep fighting Pixal! We've got this!"

"Yes. It seems that you do." Both Nindroids turned in the heat of battle to see General Cryptor approach them with his sword. "But I am here to fulfill the destiny my Dark Master created me with: DESTROYING YOU!" As it was clear he openly challenged them, the surrounding Dark Army soldiers turned their attention to the Galactic Army forces and the other Ninja. Zane, noticing this, saw his opportunity.

"Oh, please. You Couldn't even kill me with your sword in my chest. At least with Echo, there was an actual motive. Unlike you: you were simply _programmed_ to hate me."

Pixal could see he was goading him, and it was working. Cryptor's angered expression was visible through his mask as his grip on the sword tightened. "SHUT UP." But Zane was not about to give up.

"Ironic, isn't it Cryptor? How the knock off was the one with some flare and actual danger, while you are nothing but a drone. And your not even the original drone! Kozu is! I guess its sad, though... how the mindless drone general saw himself as my _nemesis_." That did the trick.

Cryptor raised his sword towards the pair, anger clearly expressed now. "I am your nemesis! I am your bane! I AM..." Without warning he charged forward in rage. "...YOUR END!" As he swung at the two, Zane ran forward and ducked under the blade, while Pixal hopped over Cryptor and grabbed him by the head, pulling him down to the ground.

Before he could pull himself up, Zane threw his shurikens at his arms, incapacitating them. Pixal then grabbed his sword from the groundand hacked at his legs, leaving the Nindroid General a limp body on the ground. "NO! NO, IT CAN'T BE!"

Zane extended his hand out, to which Pixal placed the sword in. As she nodded to her love before returning to aid in the surrounding fight, she quickly looked at Cryptor with a look of satisfaction. The Dark Nindroid hated her even more for it.

Zane walked around to crouch down next to Cryptor's head, sword still in plain sight. "Do you have any last words, Cryptor? At least make your death an honorable one." The evil General stared at Zane before responding.

"If I could... I would spit in your face right now." The response was only met with a sigh of disappointment. "Very well then. But for what it is worth... you made a fine fighter, until now." With a swing down, the red sword split Cryptor's head in two, completely destroying his processor chip.

* * *

"Copy that, Sir!" Receiving his orders from the command deck of _The Wisp, _Hawk focused his squadron's efforts on the _Misfortune's Keep. _Though the battleship was surrounded by aiding fighters of the same faction, forming an impregnable line of defense. _Unless..._

The Clone pilot opened a communication channel. "Commander MoBy!"

The Battle Droid's voice crackled through. _"-What is it, Hawk?! I'm kinda busy!-" _

"Sir, we need to take out the ship _Misfortune's Keep! _My Clone and droid fighters are trying, but the defending ships are too many to break through!"

"_-I see where you're going with this! Just keep them distracted up there, we'll handle it!-"_

* * *

As he switched off, MoBy looked up to see the massive flying pirate ship engaging it's defenses with Hawk's fighters. "Ronin! Commander Bo-Katan!" The two turned towards him, the expressions of focus emanating even through the Mandalorian's helmet. The Battle Droid wasted no time as he pointed up to the ship.

"We need to fly up there and destroy that ship!" She nodded and signaled and a dozen other surrounding Mandalorians. Ronin did the same and released his wings, grabbing onto the Mechanic as they flew up with MoBy.

As the small batch of flyers curved through ships, helicopters, and droid fighters, stray blasts managed to hit three Mandalorian fighters. Barely dodging a hit, Bo-Katan latched on to the bottom of the hull of _Misfortune's Keep,_ quickly followed by the other nine Mandos, Ronin with the Mechanic in his arms, and MoBy.

"OK, listen up! Commander, you and your fighters go up on the front side and create a distraction! Kill as many Pirates as you can, while the three of us take out the ship's controls!"

Still latched to hull, the ten Mandalorians crawled towards the front of the ship as MoBy, Ronin, and the Mechanic did the same towards the ship's side.

*ON DECK*

As cannons fired on all sides, Pirates whooped and cheered at the chaos, finally feeling back in their element since they were brought into the Dark Army fold. But Dogshank and Doubloon attempted to keep them in line. "KEEP FIRING, YA GRUNTS! CAPTAIN NADAKHAN NEEDS US TO DISTRACT THESE SHIPS UP HERE WHILE HE AIDS OUR ALLIES DOWN BELOW!"

The blue-skinned behemoth glanced to the ships side, where she saw her lover's jet cutting through droid fighters left and right. Indeed, Flintlocke's aim was just as true with a pistol as it was behind the controls.

But she regained focus on the situation at hand when the mute Doubloon tapped her on the shoulder. "WHAT?"

The angry demon face switched to his innocent one, looking rather concerned as he pointed towards the front of the ship. Realizing what he was referring to, she noticed a pair of gloved hands latch onto the tip of the ship's deck. Then another, and another, until ten figures simultaneously jumped up onto the deck, swords and blasters in hand.

"INTRUDERS!" Dogshank put her fists together. Doubloon regained his demon face and took out his blade. The other 20 pirates on deck left their posts at the cannons and took out their assortment of knives and pistols. "ATTACK!"

The 22 pirates charged towards the ten Mandalorians, failing to notice the MoBy, Ronin, and the Mechanic climb up towards the command deck from the side.

* * *

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

Cole had his hammer in hand, already engaging the Ghost General. Thanks to Cyrus, there was a small outline of Deepstone on the hammer's edges. It was not enough to dissipate Morro, but it would hurt him. The problem was managing to get a hit in.

"HA! I know we've never officially met, Cole, but I admire your aptitude to fight!" The echoing voice of the cursed Elemental only sent chills down Cole's spine, but he didn't let it distract him.

"Yeah? Well, there's nothing I can say I admire about you, traitor! Let's see..." He dodged another swing of the cursed blade and attempted to get his own hits in. "You were a brat who wanted to be the Green Ninja. You left our Sensei Wu in shame. You spent your life trying to find and desecrate the burial ground of the First Spinjitzu master, until it killed you! AND NOW, you ally yourself with the scum of creation!"

With that last remark, Morro was distracted enough to lower his defenses for a split second, enough time for Cole to land a blow to his chest, sending him back several feet. "AUGH!"

Cole walked through the surrounding flurry of blaster bolts and clashing blades until he stood over Morro's fallen figure. "Surrender, Morro. You don't have to be imprisoned in the Cursed Realm once more." He extended his hammer down to ensure Morro wouldn't try to get back up.

But he didn't notice the small green blade forming in Morro's hand." Alright Cole. I admit it, your a better fighter than me." The Master of Earth sighed with relief as he was preparing to knock out Morro for the rest of the battle.

"WHICH IS WHY I DO THIS!" Using his power of Wind, Morro sent the small cursed knife through the air straight into Cole's abdomen. The Black Ninja stumbled backwards, confused from the pain, until he himself fell onto his back. "Wh-what-?" He looked down to the wound, but became even more confused when he saw he wasn't bleeding. Instead, the skin around the blade began to turn green as well, and both his body and his Gi were turning translucent.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" He looked up in panic to the approaching Morro, who had a sly sneer on his face. "I told you, you are a better fighter than me. So I figured you should put those skills to the _ghost_ cause. And hey, if you say no, you won't be a threat to anyone once we kill all your friends!"

The Black Ninja realized what was happening: He was turning into a ghost. He put his hands to his face, defeated, as Morro laughed. Until a familiar voice cut through the air. "NO!" Both ghosts turned to see a girl in red samurai armor approaching them, her sword in hand.

In a flurry of movements, she threw punches, kicks, and sung her sword at Morro. To no avail. The Ghost General just stood there, laughing as each blow went straight through him. "Nice try, sweetie, but that won't work on me!"

Still in blind rage, she threw down her sword and bundled her fists. In the blink of an eye, a ball of water formed around each hand, shocking Morro in place. "Wait-you're Ny-" Before he could finish, she shot a large beam of water at him, completely dissipating his figure back to the Cursed Realm. Both Cole and Nya were shocked by this; they had no idea water was their weakness.

"COLE!" Nya turned towards her lover, who was now entirely green and translucent. She attempted to hug him, but her arms went straight through his body. "No..."

"It's going to be ok, Nya. Water destroys the ghosts. You take care of them. I'll keep fighting." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. With his focus, his lips became physical just long enough to meet hers, before he picked up his hammer. "Now let's get back to the task at hand!" He turned and ran towards a few approaching Anacondrai warriors, and she turned towards a small group of ghost warriors eager to avenge their general.

She quickly grinned, beginning to form water knives in her hand. "Let's do this, you damned bastards."

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

Dareth sliced his blade through a Sky Pirate, taking a quick moment to notice the fight around him. Jedi were cutting through their enemies, sans the Stone Army Warriors and Ghosts, who they repelled with the Force. Clones, Droids, Hondo and his Pirates, Naboo Warriors, and Mandalorians alike were now completely engaged with the Dark Army on the surface.

To his side, he saw Brad and Karlof fighting back-to-back, fending off several enemies at a time. "We're doing it! We are actually doing it!"

"Don't be too sure, Brown Ninja!" As the Sky Pirate's body slid off his blade, he was met with the cold stare of Samukai. Kruncha and Knuckal were both flanking their General. "You may have new allies, but the Dark Army will reign supreme! But you won't live to see it!"

He unsheathed his four bone daggers and spun them in his classical fashion. Kruncha and Knuckal each took out their bone axes, aimed right at Dareth's head. Just as the three began to approach him, he noticed Ultra Violet racing towards him from the side on her purple motorcycle, cackling maniacally. He grinned, seeing his move.

_Perfect_.

Within three seconds, three things happened.

First, Ultra Violet raced right alongside Dareth, who immediately grabbed the handle and used spinjitzu to spin her off, sending her flying into the surrounding crowd. He immediately jumped onto the seat.

Second, Samukai and his two generals jumped in the air, diving down at Dareth.

Third, Dareth sped up the cycle and pointed its two red blades forward jumping off of it midair. The two blades went through the three Skulkin, throwing them down to the ground. On impact, Samukai dissipated back into a stray spirit, and vanished back to the Departed Realm. "NNnnooo-"

Kruncha and Knuckal, on the other hand, were pinned under the motorcycle.

"Nnnn, get this off!"

"I'm trying!"

Dareth walked towards them, noticing the leaking fluid from the motorcycles engine. "Too late, boys!" The two skulking followed his gaze, realizing what he meant. "NO! PLEASE, STOP IT! STOP-" A stray laser bolt from one of the Nindroids hit the fluid, causing a small explosion that sent Dareth flying back into a few Battle Droids. When he got back up, all that remained were black charred bones scattered.

"Good riddance."

* * *

Bo-Katan punched another Sky Pirate to the side, sending him off the ledge of the deck, plunging him down to the surface. "AAAAUGGH!"

She turned to see Doubloon swing his sword at her, narrowly missing. Stray bullets from their pistols bounced off the Mandalorian's Beskar armor, hitting the deck and even managing to hit a few of the Sky Pirates. The other Mandalorians continued to fight the Sky Pirates in hand-to-hand, managing to keep up their distraction.

*ON THE COMMAND DECK*

MoBy, Ronin, and the Mechanic successfully climbed up onto the top of the ship, getting through the door into the inner workings of the upper level. The Mechanic led the way, as he helped design the ship while he still with the Dark Army. "This way."

Turning the corner, he saw three figures in the command room: a random Sky Pirate standing at attention, Monkey Wrench at the ship's computer, and Clancee at the wheel. "NOW!"

The three jumped in, guns blazing. MoBy managed to kill the random pirate. Ronin's shots narrowly missed Clancee as he dove to the side, leaving the wheel in place. The shots from the Mechanic's cannon-arm hit Monkey Wrench's tail, infuriating the monkey. "MoBy, get the wheel!"

The Battle Droid ran towards the steering wheel, grabbing it to make sure the ship didn't fly crash prematurely with them still on board. Clancee picked himself up and began to run towards the droid, but was tackled back down by Ronin. "Not this one, snake!"

"What do you think you are doing Ronin, huh? Why are you helping them? Their time has come, the Dark Army rules supreme now! Don't forget, you are one of us!" That last comment sent Ronin over the edge. He picked the green-skinned hybrid up by the shoulders and pinned him against the wall.

"I am not, NOR WAS I EVER, one of you!" He threw Clancee down, giving the snake to pick up his personal blade. "Very well then, traitor, let's finish this!"

The two engaged in sword play, Clancee managing to pierce Ronin's armor at the shoulder and create a gash. "RONIN!" The Mechanic, noticing his friend's peril, raised his cannon arm to shoot the serpentine. But right as he fired, Monkey Wrench grabbed the arm and pointed it up, shooting through the viewport. Now, wind was circling through the room, pushing everyone back except for MoBy, who locked his feet down.

The Mechanic grabbed the robotic animal with his good arm, staring at him right in the eyes. "You may be a better mechanic than me, monkey..." As the creature struggled tp break free from his grasp, its head met the end of the cannon arm. "...But you never were a better fighter."

With a single blast, Monkey Wrench's head burst open, and his lifeless body was picked up by the winds and flew out the whole in the window. "GUYS! That's our cue!"

MoBy nodded, taking out a blaster and firing at the ship's computers. Small explosions slowly began to erupt around them, knocking Clancee off of his game. Ronin, recognizing his advantage hit the snake with the butt end of his sword, coldcocking him. "Good luck getting out of this mess, Clancee." He tied the snake's arm to the steering wheel, then took his sword and burst through the window. "LET'S GO!"

*ON THE LOWER DECK*

The Mandalorian Commander punched Doubloon back, knocking him into Dogshank. She noticed the large female Sky Pirate was holding a ball and chain her clutches. "Time to end this, puny fighter."

As she took a step forward, the ship suddenly shook violently, and began to point downwards. Bo-Katan grinned. "I couldn't have said it better."

Before Dogshank and Doubloon could understand what is going on, she signaled the other nine Mandalorians to take off. The _Misfortune's Keep_ began to tilt downwards further, and the Sky Pirates on board began to fall down towards their deaths. The two remaining, Dogshank and Doubloon, held onto the ship's supporting pillars, but failed to notice Bo-Katan flying just below them.

"Hey, ugly!" Dogshank looked down to see the blue-and-grey warrior lean down and fire her jetpack missile, aiming right for her face. "OH, YOU'VE GOTTA BE SHITTING M-"

The projectile exploded in her face, killing the giant instantly. Her limp body began to fall downwards towards the surface. With satisfaction from her kill in battle, Bo flew back down, leaving Doubloon clutching onto the pillar for dear life, while simultaneously ensuring his death.

* * *

The officers on board the deck of _The Wisp _began to cheer as they saw the _Misfortune's Keep _plummet downwards towards the surface. Even Thrawn managed a smile of satisfaction, but Yularen called back for attention. "The battle isn't won yet! We still have to take out THAT somehow!" He pointed to the _Garmatron II, _which still had its shields raised in defense.

* * *

In the command room of the Overlord's flagship, Skulkin and Ghost warriors ran around in panic. Sensei Yang sat at the captain's chair, watching the _Misfortune's Keep _begin its descent towards the Dark Army forces below. "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL! Keep shields up! They cannot be allowed to take us out!"

* * *

A few member's of the Overlord's top Generals realized their strength in united numbers before the enemies even engaged. After she was flung off of her bike, Ultra Violet ran to regroup with the Time Twins, two of the Vermillion Generals Machia and Raggmunk, Iron Baron, Skalidor, Acidicus, Clouse riding the Anacondrai Serpent, and Char.

Unfortunately for them, they grouped themselves underneath the _Misfortune's Keep. _

Iron Baron was the first to notice the shadow around them encompassing. But it was too late. "LOOK OUT!"

*ON THE COMMAND DECK*

The sound of the explosions around him woke Clancee to see the ship approach the ground at ramming speed. Out of fear, he pulled to get his hands untied from the wheel, but conceded once he realized it was too late. In his final moments, he closed his eyes. "Well, a Pirate's life earns a Pirate's death."

*ON THE BATTLEFIELD*

The ship collided into the ground, exploding on impact. Clancee and Doubloon were incinerated, along with the 9 Generals and the Anacondrai Serpent. Warriors on both sides looked up to see the fire in the battlefield grow as the Sky Pirate fleet began to follow the lead of their flagship.

One-man fighters lost their signal and crashed down into Galactic and Dark Army forces alike. Raid Zeppelins collided into surrounding Skulkin aircrafts, Rattlecopters, Nindroid gunships, Blade Copters, and Dragon Hunter jets. The last aircraft left was the sky shark, with Flintlocke struggling to keep the fighter in the air. "C'MON, NO! NO!"

But it was too late. Hawk's fighter shot at his engine, sending him spiraling until he hit the Ice Dragon Boreal midair. The resulting explosion sent General Vex flying down, crashing right next to Nadahan. The Djinn had tears in his eyes as he watched his ship burn, with all of his crew burning.

The Blizzard Samurai General picked himself up, terrified at the ensuing bloodshed around them. "Captain Nadakhan… What do we do?"

He summoned his four daggers, fury in his eyes as he looked to see Captain Rex, Maul, and an assortment of Nightsisters running towards him. "WE KILL THEM ALL!" Before Vex could respond, the Djinn teleported in front of the approaching enemies, leaving him holding onto the Ice Scepter with the Second Forbidden Scroll, and seeing an angry looking Zane run towards him.

"Very well, then."

*TO THE SIDE OF THE BATTLEFIELD*

Kai was holding his ground against the Serpentine Queen. Her Spinjitzu tornado was larger. Her fire was hotter, brighter, and there was more of it. But he was still the Elemental Master. As she sent beams of fire towards him, the Red Ninja jumped to dodge each blow. He swerved to each side, ducked, and spun. Until he was too slow, and one beam hit him right in the chest.

"AHA! Got you now, you meddlesome twerp!"

Her fire slowly burned Kai's Gi, causing him to wince in pain. Until one Clutch Power ran forwards and shot several rounds from his revolver at the Serpentine. The last bullt pierced through her eye, causing her to let go of the scepter and clutch her wound in pain. "AUGH!"

Clutch helped pick Kai up onto his feet, blowing the smoke off the tip of his pistol. "Still got it." Kai nodded with a grin, quickly diving to pick up Aspheera's scepter before she could. Fortunately for him, she didn't even notice until his eyes lit up from the Scroll's power.

"NO! IMPOSSIBLE!"

The Red Ninja grinned. "You were right, Aspheera; There's only enough room for one Master of Fire." The scepter began to glow, and a beam of energy wrapped around her. Slowly, her scales reverted from gold to their original black, and the fire absorbed back towards Kai, until she was left clawing on the ground wounded.

With Aspheera's power over Fire gone, the Fire Fangs and Pyro Viper soldiers dusted away into nothingness, leaving mummy rags scattered across the battlefield.

The nearby Clone Fives noticed their injured enemy and stunned her before she could move again. "KALANI! GET THIS PRISONER ONTO A GUNSHIP!" The Droid General nodded, sending two Commando Droids to pick up her unconscious body onto a nearby ship. Fives nodded to Kai and Clutch, who nodded back, then all three noticed Zane engaging Vex.

Both Masters of Ice were shooting beams at each other, but just like Kai was, Zane was outmatched by the Scroll's influence. Until Kai took action and used the Scroll to spin a huge tornado of Fire to collide right with Vex, knocking him to the ground. Following Kai's lead, Zane used his shurikens to knock the Scepter out of Vex's hand, and as the Ice General was still dizzy from the impact, he absorbed the power of Ice back into him. "NO!"

Just as the Pyro Vipers dusted away, the Blizzard Samurai who were made up of ice shattered into shards. The one's who were corrupted, however, turned back into their human selves and fled the scene in a scared panic. Grimfax's and his samurai, however, stayed to fight the Dark Army forces that remained.

Vex, now reverted back to his human self, stared at his bare hands. Realization hit him, that he was once again powerless. He looked up to Zane, who stood over him with the Scepter in hand, his eyes glowing blue.

In fear, the pitiful man bowed to him. "My Lord... You are my master, I see that now! Please... Please spare me!" Zane paid him little attention as he turned towards Fives. "Take him away, soldier. He will pay for his crimes in life, not death."

As the Clone Trooper put cuffs on Vex and dragged him to the nearby gunship, Zane walked up to Kai and Clutch. The two Ninja now held onto the Scrolls of Spinjitzu, and already they began to feel their corrosive effects. "Kai, we cannot hold onto these for too long."

"I know. Let's find the others and think of something!" The three ran into their surroundings, fighting off the Nindroids, Skulkin, Bikers, Oni, Serpentine, Ghosts, and Dragon Hunters that remained as they did.

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

Dareth ran to fight besides Cole, who he could now see was a ghost. "COLE! What happened?"

"Morro happened. Nya took care of him, but I guess I'm a ghost now." He used his hammer to shatter an incoming Skulkin, showing little emotion as he did. Dareth noticed. "Is it reversible?"

"I don't think so. But let's worry about that later."

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

Nadakhan teleported through the Nightsisters, stabbing several at a time as he did. Even with their heightened sensitivity, they failed to keep up with his speed. His blades pierced the chests and backs of dozens already, and he was approaching Maul fast.

The Zabrak waved his orange lightsaber around, attempting to ward off the Djinn. As he did, he successfully cut through the four knives he was holding. "BAH!"

Nadakhan grabbed Maul by the arm and teleported several hundred feet into the air, letting him go before he could react. Fortunately for Maul, Savage and Ventress both saw him falling fast, and used the force to slow his descent until he gently landed back down.

But Rex, on the other hand, was the only one left against the fast-approaching Djinn. He fired his blasters in every direction the he appeared, but ultimately failed as Nadakhan teleported right in front of him. "Time to die, soldier boy!"

Suddenly, a green mist surrounded the Djinn, rendering him incapable to move. Both he and Rex turned to see Mother Talzin using her sorcery to stop him. "I think not, four-armed one. You have spilled the blood of my Sisters. For this you shall pay... but I think Jay Walker would see to it you live to face justice if at all possible." With a snap of her fingers, the green mist went up into Nadakhan's mouth, causing him to fall down unconscious.

Rex picked himself up and cuffed both pairs of hands on the Djinn. "My thanks, Mother Talzin."

She nodded in respect. "I will take this murderer to a gunship, Captain. Get back to the battle at hand."

*ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD*

With his Elemental Blade and the Force, Jay was knocking back enemies left and right. Even Lloyd couldn't keep up with his moves. But the two of them looked to the side when they heard the angered screams of Kai and Zane. From the side, the Masters of Fire and Ice were clearly being corrupted by the scroll's influence. Neither Clutch nor Pixal could get them to let go.

But Jay and Lloyd knew what to do. As Jay turned his Elemental Blade off, Lloyd balled his fists and summoned two green energy beams, shooting straight at them. As Clutch and Pixal dove to each side, the two ninja were knocked back lightly, just enough for them to let go of the Scepters and send them flying into the air.

And both were caught by Jay.

A dark blue flame erupted on the head of the Master of Lightning. His one eye glowed cobalt blue. Turning to Omega and a small squadron of Oni, he blasted them with a single bolt of raw lightning, incinerating the Bringers of Doom immediately.

He looked around to see Lloyd, Kai, Zane, Pixal, and Clutch backing up nervously, while the two armies were still fighting around them. He looked up to see the _Garmatron II._ That's when he realized where he recognized it. _It_'s _the__ same ship from my vision on Dathomir._

Without hesitation, he pointed both scepters upwards towards the flagship.

* * *

Yang looked down from the viewport and zoomed in on Jay's figure. He saw both Scepters with the Scrolls pointed right at them. "OH, NO!"

* * *

"ENOUGH." Jay spun into an enlarged blue tornado of Lightning, roughly the size of the Tornado of Creation. With the power of the Scrolls, he sent a massive continuous dark blue bolt of lightning straight towards the ship.

* * *

"Well, shit." The dark blue bolt crashed through the hull of the ship, going straight into the command deck of the G_armatron II._ Stray bolts emerged off of it, incinerating the Ghosts and Skulkin alike on board, causing massive explosions from the computer systems. Until only Yang was the last one, accepting his fate as the lighting sent him to the Departed Realm for eternity.

* * *

The massive ship burst down the middle, sending both halves crashing down onto the desert field behind the battlelines. Jay stopped spinning and threw both scepters to the ground, turning to his friends with a smile.

Letting his gaurd down was a major mistake, as he failed to see the dark figure approaching him fast. As he turned back to see what Kai and Zane were pointing to, Karlof jumped in between him and the dark figure. "LOOK OUT!"

Jay watched as the Dark Dragon Blade of the Overlord stabbed Karlof in the back, killing the Master of Metal. From the side, Jay recognized the voice of Brad yell "NO!," but failed to look at him as he stared at the reddish-purple eyes of the Overlord reincarnated.

"Overlord... You're going to pay for that, and all the other blood on your hands!"

Pythor slid to the Overlord's side, sneering at the boy back from the dead. "Well, well, well, what have we here? Have you come back for round two, Jay?"

The Overlord chuckled at Pythor's query. **"****You'll find that will be much harder now than it was ten years ago. I have become more powerful than you could possibly imagine, BOY!"**

With Lloyd at his side, and Brad crouching down next to Jay sobbing over Karlof's body, Jay re-ignited his Elemental Blade with a smirk. "So have I."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUHHH. THERE WE GO! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED, PLEASE REVIEW! I will update when I can.**


	27. Duel of the Masters

**We are back! As I said, an unforeseen event has come up, so it may be a bit before another update. A week at most. PLEASE comment or review.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Duel of the Masters**

The Galactic Army's forces were still fully engaged in battle against what remained of the Dark Army; stray Skulkin warriors, Serpentine sans Pyro Vipers and Clancee, Stone Army warriors, Nindroids, Ghosts that Nya hadn't yet gotten to, and the remaining Sons of Garmadon forces. Although the skies now completely belonged to the Galactic Army, the battle was still fully heated on the surface.

Not that Jay or Lloyd noticed as the two stared face-to-face with the Overlord and Pythor. After Jay ignited his blade, Lloyd stepped forward to be right next to his friend, sneering at the Overlord. "So, where were you this whole time, Overlord? I notice you didn't face either of us yet!"

The obvious taunt had little effect on the Dark Master as he chuckled. **"****Sorry, Lloyd, but I was a little busy with some new... ****_friends._****" **He gestured behind him, where both jay and Lloyd saw several dozen dead bodies of Clones, Battle Droids, Pirates, and even a few random Jedi. The sight made Jay tighten his grip on his blade, which made the Overlord smile menacingly.

**"****I was secretly hoping the new allies would pose a threat. Needless to say, they were not. But back to the matter at hand...****" **He positioned himself into a fighting stance alongside Pythor.

The two pairs stared each other down, each with their own weapon fully unsheathed.

Jay had his Elemental Lightning Blade pointed forward.

The Overlord had the Dark Dragon Blade, still fresh with Karlof's blood, swerve in a circular motion.

Lloyd had a Katana he grabbed from a dead Nindroid pointed downwards.

Pythor hissed at the two Ninja with his Anacondrai blade aimed towards them as he slithered alongside his Master.

Behind Jay, Brad was still crying over Karlof's body. The Master of Metal had become his closest friend in the past four years since he saved his life, and now he was gone too. "K-K-Karlof… no..."

But before the young Ninja would possibly get hurt in the crossfires of the surrounding battle, Pixal and Clutch ran to pick him up by the arms and drag him away from the Overlord. "NO! LET ME GO! KARLOF, HE-"

"He's dead, Brad! Don't let his sacrifice be in vain by getting Jay or yourself killed!" As the three lined up with Kai and Zane, the two Ninja were still breathing heavily from the influence of the Scrolls. "We have to help Jay and Lloyd!" The Red Ninja prepared to run forward, only to be halted by Zane.

"No, Kai, wait. This is not our fight." Kai looked to his mechanical brother in disbelief. "WHAT? How can you say that?!"

"It's just like you said to us, all those years ago when we first became a team and we wanted to help Sensei Wu against Samukai. That was his fight to complete. The Overlord and Pythor killed Jay's parents _DIRECTLY_. The Overlord took over the body of Lloyd's father for a second time, even if he was just a shell of his former self. This is their fight, unless we are called upon."

Though he didn't like it, Kai knew he was right. Through the surrounding chaos, Dareth and Cole ran up alongside them, noticing Jay and Lloyd prepare to face their enemies. "What are they doing!?"

"Finishing this, one way or another." Kai turned to look at Cole, immediately confused by his new Ghost form. "What the hell happened to you?" Not wanting to explain it a third time, the Master of Earth sighed.

* * *

Nya found herself surrounded by the hundreds of remaining ghosts left from the destruction of the _Garmatron II, _still eager to avenge Morro. Soul Archer attempted to hit her from a distance with his cursed arrowtips, but her flying water-daggers finished him off before he got the chance. Ghoultar attempted the headfirst approach, flying towards her in a berserker style. Her Spinjitzu tornado absorbed him before his scythe touched her skin.

Unfortunately, in the chaos that surrounded her, Nya failed to notice a single ghost fly overhead, chuckling at her as she laid waste to the other ghosts. "Foolish Ninja!"

Before Nya could look up at the voice, Bansha's howl rained down on her from above, breaking her concentration as she held both hands to her ears in pain. The echoes of agony that breached Nya's mind were too much to handle, giving the remaining 20 ghosts a chance to re-approach her.

After Bansha stopped her "singing," she descended down to stand right in front of the Master of Water. Nya still held on to her head in pain, unable to do little else. The sight of her made Bansha smile. "Look at her, boys! She may have the aid of Water, but when incapacitated, she is just like everyone else..." The other ghosts laughed at their General's boasts, while she turned back to Nya and pulled off her Samurai X helmet, revealing her panicked face.

"You got the Soul Archer. You defeated Ghoultar. You even managed to get Morro. But it matters not how many of us you get. Once we kill you, and our Emperor kills your friends, he will reopen the bridge to the Cursed Realm, freeing them from their damnation once more!" Nya looked up at Bansha, then her eyes darted to the side before she responded.

"There's just… one problem with your plan..."

"_Oh? _And what's that, little Ninja?" The other 20 ghosts walked forward, blades raised to kill Nya. Until a figure jumped down and used a Force blow, knocking them all to their sides. Bansha immediately picked herself up to see Ahsoka ignite her two green blades.

"You forgot about me." Bansha flew back upwards and began to shriek at Ahsoka, but was interrupted by a blast of water, dissipating her immediately back to the Cursed Realm. "NO-"

The remaining ghosts looked back in fear to see Nya pick herself up, smirking at them. "Not today." With a quick spin, she unleashed a final flurry of water daggers, hitting them all.

Ahsoka smirked at the victory. "Nice job. Now come on!" The two ran side-by-side to face the next wave of remaining Dark Army forces, towards the Overlord.

* * *

After a solid minute of staring each other down, Lloyd balled up his fist and fired a beam of Energy towards the Overlord. The Dark Master simply opened his palm, summoning a small portal over the heads of both Ninja. Jay immediately called upon the force, stopping the beam in midair as he deflected it with his Elemental blade, firing it towards Pythor.

The Serpentine King hissed in anticipation, swerving his blade to block the blow, allowing it to instead hit the ground. The Overlord smirked. **"My turn."** His three open hands shot beams of Darkness at the two. Lloyd returned the one beam that fired at him with his own. Jay did the same to one, returning lightning against the darkness. He used his Elemental Blade to block the third beam towards the ground, until he managed to aim it back at the Overlord.

Noticing Jay's goal, the Overlord stopping firing his beams, quickly moving sideways to avoid the shots of energy and Lightning.

**"It is obvious this _contest _cannot be determined by our powers over the mystical arts..." **He waved his Dark Dragon Blade around once more. **"But by our skills with a blade." **Without further warning, the Overlord ran forward and spun in a purple tornado towards Jay, who spun towards him.

Pythor slithered forward and swung his Anacondrai Blade at Lloyd, who met it with his reinforced Nindroid blade. The Anacondrai's tail spun around, knocking Lloyd onto his back. "OOF!" Regaining his focus, Lloyd saw Pythor raise his blade in the air. "Sorry, old chum. Nothing personal!" It was too late for Lloyd to do anything as he watched the blade swing downwards...

Only for a ball of fire to knock it out of the scaly hands.

They both looked to the side to see Kai run forwards at him, followed by Zane, Cole, and Dareth. "Screw it. Time to enter!" With the opening they gave him, Lloyd jumped back up to his feet and kicked Pythor back. Kai dove forward with a roll and punched him in the throat. Zane slid sideways and knocked Pythor's jaw with his metal elbow. With the butt-end of his scythe, Cole hit him with a hard blow to the chest. Dareth jumped up and spun around, roundhouse kicking Pythor on the other side of his jaw. The collective blows knocked Pythor backwards. "Master! Help!"

The two tornadoes of Darkness and Lightning were still clashing as the deep voice of the Overlord cut through the air. **"Hmmm." **His tornado backed up slightly, giving him a chance to stop spinning and swing at Jay's feet to knock him off-balance. Prepared, the Jedi Master of Lighting stopped spinning and jumped backwards before his enemy got the chance.

**"You and your remaining allies appear to have the advantage, Jay. But what about _my _allies?"**

Before Kai could strike at Pythor again, General Kozu ran out of the surrounding clamor of battle and tackled him to the ground. Dareth turned to help him, but the bellowing laugh of Killow distracted him long enough for the large Biker General to run forward and grab him in a crushing grip. Zane was attacked from behind by Chen, who now held him in an Anacondrai-tight grip with both arms, keeping the Master of Ice from spinning himself free. Cole began to run forward to aid them, but stopped dead in his tracks when the last Vermillion General Blunk stepped in his way, who covered himself in the puddles used against the other Ghosts. "Boo!"

Lloyd picked up the Nindroid katana and prepared to run to help them. "Guys!"

"I would be more worried about yoursssself, Lloyd." He turned back to see Skales and Fangtom help Pythor back up.

As the three approached him with increasing speed, Nya and Ahsoka jumped out from the surrounding battle and on top of the Blue and Red Serpentine tribe generals, knocking them unconscious. Pythor realized his disadvantage once he saw them line up with Lloyd, and slithered back into the surrounding battle.

"Let him go! We have to help Jay!"

"What about the others?" Ahsoka pointed to their friends who were being held by the remaining Dark Army generals. Lloyd nodded his head.

"Help them. I'll help Jay! If we take out their master, they will fall or retreat!"

* * *

Jay watched in horror as Killow slowly crushed Dareth in his grip. Kai was attempting to claw out from underneath the hold of Kozu, but to no avail. The same case was with Zane for Chen. The Vermillion Blunk was attempting to get ahold of Cole, who was panicking as he used Airjitzu to get out of anyone's reach. Finally, Jay turned back to the Overlord, who still had the menacing smile on his face.

**"My, my... this sure seems familiar. Deja vu, eh? But _where _have I seen this before?"**

Jay raised his blade in a defensive stance, attempting to look calm. "Shut up."

Mockingly, the Overlord snapped his fingers with fake realization. **"OH, THAT'S RIGHT! It was when I had your friends in a grip, and you chose to fight me even then! If memory serves, I killed your precious Wu then and there..." **His eyes darted to where his remaining Generals held the Ninja captive. Jay's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen.

**"So tell me, Jay... who should I kill this time?" **

"NO!" In an almost uncalled for rage, Jay blasted a bolt of lightning and pushed the Dark master back with the force, giving him the opportunity to jump up to strike at him. Expecting it, the Overlord quickly picked himself up and blocked the Lightning Blade as it swung down with his upper two hands, and extended his lower ones towards the captive Ninja.

As Jay held the Overlord back, a black-and-purple aura began to surround Kai, Zane, Dareth, and Cole in midair, stopping him from using Airjitzu. With a grin, the Overlord began to descend Cole towards the Vermillion General.

Until Ahsoka pulled the orange bundle of snakes back with the Force, Nya used her Elemental power to absorb all of the water within him... and Lloyd jumped out from behind and stabbed the Overlord in the lower back.

"I got you, you son of a bitch!"

The aura that surrounded the others faded, giving them the opportunity to fight against their holders as Cole, Nya, and Ahsoka fought off Killow, Chen, and Kozu. From the new point of penetration the katana had made in the Dark Master's back, a dark liquid slowly began to seep out. Darkmatter.

But the Overlord barely even looked hurt as he laughed, not even bothering to turn to Lloyd as he looked Jay in the eye. **"Oh, this is too good. It seems this fight has a third party challenger has entered the arena! And I can think of no better place for my victory..." **

He opened his palms once more, and as the battle continued around them, Clutch, Pixal, and Brad noticed the spark that appeared underneath the trio. Brad's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, breaking his arms free from Pixal's hold as he ran towards them. "I can't let him get away!"

From the other side, Pythor did the same.

**"But this time, I WON'T be cast back into my dormant state!"**

A small portal appeared over the heads of Jay, Lloyd, and the Dark Master, pulling them up into it and away form the surrounding battle. As it closed, Brad jumped in as well, quickly followed by Pythor, leaving Pixal and Clutch no choice but to aid the others in the battle, hoping that their friends could hold out.

* * *

**There we go! As I said, shorter chapter. I will update when I can**

**Please review.**


	28. Parallels

**Only a few chapters left!**

**I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 28: Parallels**

Gene stood idly at the foot of the Dark Throne. Surrounding the Throne Room were the 11 other Ninja in his personal enforcement group, though he didn't bother to learn their names; attachment would be a weakness, one which he delightfully exploited back when he was the spy. _Ah, good times._

He walked to the side of the throne room, to the outer balcony as he looked onto the gaping crowds below. Still standing frozen in place with their eyes white, not a sound could be heard throughout the city. Beside him on the balcony was one of the machines that Cryptor had designed for the Prime Protocol, currently turned on as it transmitted the signal to the others across the realm.

"I tell ya, guys, this is _WAAAY _more boring than I expected it to be!" The quiet nods and grunts that exited the mouths of his 11 comrades filled Gene up with a soft annoyance. Their time at the Dark Army Academy devoided all signs of personality and individuality. Though useful for him on the battlefield, it made his Ninja terrible conversationalists.

"Y'know what? Bring the prisoner in here! I'm sure our Emperor wouldn't mind if we had a little fun with him." The closest two nodded and left the throne room, returning with Cyrus Borg being dragged by his limp legs.

"Let me go!" His arms flayed helplessly in the air as the two hooded warriors dropped his legs at Gene's feet, leaving him lying on his back facing the former pupil. "what the hell do you want, Gene?"

"Entertainment, old man. Even though I was expressly forbidden from harming you, I thought you'd want to see this. Boys?" On command, the two that dragged Cyrus picked him up by the arms, following Gene out to the balcony. There, he saw the aura emitting from the machines spread over every person below, causing his eyes to widen.

"Is... Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, Cyrus. Though General Cryptor perfected your technology to spread a MUCH wider range. All across the realm, in fact. After the Dark Army has killed what's left of the Resistance, yours will be the only free mind in Ninjago that's not loyal. Hopefully not for too long though, I do so ever want to see you dead-"

A loud _CRACK_ turned all heads to the Dark Throne, where a portal formed. Gene smiled in satisfaction. "Ah, it seems our illustrious master is already back." But his thoughts of victory were quickly cut off as the Overlord fell through the portal with Lloyd, Pythor, Brad, and a familiar stranger with blue robes.

"BRAD?! My Ninja, get them!" The two dropped Cyrus, knocking him unconscious before he could turn to see who was there. Gene and all 11 other Ninja ran forward with their weapons bared. Brad, who was still getting up as Pythor and the Overlord were fighting Lloyd, failed to notice Gene's sword swing down towards his head.

Until it stopped in midair, causing Gene and his men to look at the familiar stranger, who was extending his hand towards the sword. "Who are you? How are you doing this?"

The one-eyed man sighed disappointingly. "How far you have fallen, Gene." The Dark Army lieutenant's eyes widened in surprise as the man ignited his blade. _That voice..._

"N-no... That's impossible! You're dead!"

"Hey, Gene." The ginger looked back to see Brad standing in front of him. "Fuck you."

The young man sent a punch that knocked his former best friend onto his back, bloodying his nose. "NINJA! Kill him!" Baring their swords, axes, and blasters, the 11 others ran at Brad with the intent to kill. Jay started to run to help him, but Brad immediately spun to deflect the first flurry of lasers into another Dark Ninja, killing him instantly. Brad turned to Jay.

"I've got this! Help Lloyd!" Jay nodded and ran towards the others as Brad spun towards the closest Dark Ninja, who in turn spun into a dark red tornado.

* * *

Lloyd, though quick and agile, was no match against both the Overlord and Pythor, and they could tell. He was beginning to slow down from exhaustion, swinging his blade wildly to avoid getting hit by them. But it was not enough as the Dark Dragon Blade cut alongside his arm, creating a dark purple gash. "AUGH!"

Unfortunately, he also failed to notice Pythor's tail wrap around his leg, pulling him onto his back on the ground.

The Overlod towered over him with pride as he stared at the Green Ninja's tired body.** "Pythor… feast."**

Pythor's jaw unhinged, revealing his gargantuan mouth as he approached Lloyd. The young Sensei backed up slowly on his one good arm, as the Anacondrai was slithering towards him teasingly. "Oh, old chum, we both knew it would have ended like this for you eventually. I can't wait to-EEEAAUGH!"

The Anacondrai's entire body sparked bright blew as a jolt of lightning wrapped around his body, knocking him unconscious. As he fell onto his Back, Jay walked forward with his Elemental Blade pointed at the Overlord in one hand, and the ther used the Force to pull Lloyd onto his feet next to him. "It's over, Overlord. Surrender!"

As his purple eyes darted to the sides, the Dark Master saw Brad overpowering his Dark Ninja. Then, he noticed the machine on the balcony, and grinned. **"I think not, Jay!"**

With the snap of his fingers, a portal popped below him, and reopened right next to the machine. Before Jay or Lloyd could react, he placed all four hands on the machine, causing it to glow purple. **"I win, NINJA!"**

Dropping the Dark Dragon Blade, the Overlord's purple eyes glowed brightly before his entire body went limp, falling onto his back next to Cyrus's unconscious form. Lloyd stared at the scene with bewilderment. "Did he just... commit suicide?"

But Jay shook his head begrudgingly. "No, I'm afraid I know exactly what happened. Come on." The pair ran up to the machine, and Jay immediately picked up Cyrus's body and hunched it against the short wall of the balcony. Lloyd, on the other hand, stared down at the city at all of the citizens.

"What did they do to them?"

As he placed Cyrus's body against the wall carefully and took notice of Brad kicking the collective asses of Gene's Dark Ninja, the Master of Lightninging then looked down at the crowd below. "I'm not sure... but let's find out."

He placed his left hand on the machine just as they watched the Overlord do, and extended his right one to Lloyd. "Take it."

"What are you doing?"

With a smile, he gave his friend a determined look. "Saving our home. Like I said, I have discovered many new powers, and if this machine is what I think it is... It's time we finish this." Lloyd could see the resolve in his eye, just as he could hear it in his voice. Without further hesitation, he clasped his left hand with Jay's right one. "What now?"

"Prepare yourself... It's about to get _trippy_." As Jay let out a surge of lighting into his left hand, it began to glow bright blue and the aura surrounded his body, then spread into a green aura around Lloyd's. But before the Green Sensei could question or protest, everything went black.

* * *

With four of the Dark Ninja already dead, Brad was quickly utilizing all of his skills to get through the others. Between tornadoes, Gene could see the anger in his eyes, noticing an advantage: He was too blinded by his rage to focus on his surrounding.

Gene quickly grabbed one of the only two Dark Ninja that were still standing next to him, as the remaining five were spinning around Brad. "YOU! Throw a grenade, NOW!" The Dark Ninja nodded, almost to Gene's surprise; he had half-expected some protest that it would surely kill their fellow Dark Ninja as well, but it seems Sensei Yang's training at the Dark Academy had turned them into effective killing machines.

The Explosives Ninja took out a grenade from his belt and pressed the ignition button, waiting three seconds before he tossed it towards the base of Brad's tornado. The young man fortunately took notice of it at the last second, just as the five surrounding tornadoes came in to collectively attack him. With a quick shift to airjitzu, Brad glided above the explosion that incinerated the five Dark Ninja.

The blast also pushed Gene and the remaining two Dark Ninja back, as well as caused the closest two pillars to crumble. As Brad landed back down onto the ground, the pillar next to him fell to the side, followed by pieces of the ceiling. The young man covered his head from the debris, noticing the balcony where the unconscious bodies of Cyrus, Lloyd, and Jay lay down. Pythor's body was near theirs.

_But where is the Overlord?_

"BRAD!" The familiar voice brought him back to the present situation, as he looked through the dust to see Gene standing 20 feet away from him, his twin katanas fully extended. On his right side, a Dark Ninja stood with explosives around his belt took out a short spear in an defensive position. One Gene's left side, the other Dark Ninja was bearing a Cole-style hammer aimed forward towards him. The traitorous friend aimed his right blade high at Brad's head.

"It's time we finish this. Time to end any hope for the enemy's future, here and now."

Brad let a small curl form at the edge of his lip. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

Lloyd woke up standing in the same place he just was... but different. The sky wasn't pitch black from Darkmatter smog, it was a teal blue. So were all the buildings. On the side of every structure, lines of white light hummed with soft glows. He turned to one side to see that the Machine wasn't there, nor was Cyrus's unconscious body. But on his other side...

"Jay?"

The Blue Ninja turned to him. "Yea- whoa! Lloyd, you look younger!" The Green Ninja looked down to see he was wearing his Rebooted Gi. He felt his hair; it was cut back in its old shape. "Yeah, Jay... so do you!"

Jay's scars were no longer present on his face. His goatee and eyepatch were gone as well, reverting his appearance back to when they thought he had originally died. Like Lloyd, he was also wearing his Rebooted Gi, seemingly to his confusion as he felt his hairless face.

"Yeah... it's been a while since I put myself into a digital plane."

"Wait... you've done this before?"

"Oh, yeah, I can do this manually; though it's never changed my appearance before. Huh. Anyway, it's one of the new powers I learned about in my time away. But in actuality, the first time I did it was back when we were facing the _digital _Overlord."

Lloyd's eyes widened with realization. "Are you telling me... we're in the digiverse?!"

Jay nodded slowly. "Yeah, but... it's not like I remember. For starters, THEY weren't here!" He pointed down towards the city streets, where they could both see hundreds of people walking around, going about their daily lives:

The mailman was smiling as he delivered a package to a happy civilian.

The Commissioner waved to a fellow Officer across the street as he was getting an ice cream.

Hundreds upon thousands of other civilians were also seemingly oblivious to their whereabouts.

"What's wrong with them?"

**"I can answer that for you."** Both Ninja turned to see a black skinned figure with a white beard and long white hair wrapped into a single long bun approach them from the throne room behind the balcony. His robes had teal-blue and red outlining, just as his skin did with his yellow eyes.

Jay reached for his Elemental Blade, before realizing he didn't have it in this digital realm. "Who are you?"

The figure mocked disappointment. **"Come now, boys. This is hardly the first time I've changed appearances before you. Here, I am Emperor Unagami, divine ruler, but I'm still the same old Overlord." **With a quick shift, his disguised appearance reverted back to his current self, with his eyes shifting back to their purple-red hue, and two other arms sprouting out as his golden armor mesh formed around his chest.

Lloyd kept his fists raised defensively as he motioned his head down to the citizens below. "What did you do to them?"

The Overlord barked out a laugh. **"HA! You speak so accusingly, yet I gave them what you never could: pure bliss! They are now subjects of my Prime Empire, my new-and-advanced digiverse world, which has encompassed all of Ninjago's subjects. Of course, they don't even realize this place isn't real, or that so long as they are here, their life force is slowly drained to give me more power!**"

"WHAT?"

**"Oh, yes, yes. All part of my Prime Protocol, a last-resort plan to help give me power if all else fails. It also works as a way to keep my subjects in line without worrying about any talks of riots. But how did _you two_ get here, I wonder?"**

Before either Ninja could react, two tendrils sprung out of the Overlord's back and wrapped around them, keeping them from moving. The tendril around Jay slowly crawled into his ear, and projected a screen above the Blue Ninja's head for Lloyd and the Overlord to see.

**"Time for me to get my answers."**

* * *

Using one of the axes from a dead Dark Ninja, Brad deflected blows from Gene's Katanas and the hammer. The third Dark Ninja with the explosives circled around as he engaged them, hoping to avoid detection. The hammer Ninja swung forward, Brad dropped the axe and used the kinetic force from the motion to grab the hammer out of his enemy's hand. Before he or Gene could do anything to stop him, Brad twisted both hands counterclockwise, swinging the hammer down onto the Dark Ninja's head, killing him instantly.

As the pillars and ceiling around them continued to crumble, Gene motioned at the explosives Ninja to wait as he stared at Brad. "So, old friend... It seems I failed to kill you, and now you've killed my new friends. How did you survive, I wonder?"

Through huffs, Brad picked himself back up, fury still entirely visible in his eyes. "I would be dead if it wasn't for Karlof."

"Ah, yes, the meddlesome Master of Metal. Once we're done here, I should find him and finally finish the job myself."

"He's already dead. The Overlord killed him."

With faint disappointment, Gene raised his twin blades. "A shame. But at least it saves me the trouble; now all I have to deal with is you."

The young student of Lloyd raised the hammer in response. "How could you, Gene? They gave us a home, a _family, _and you betrayed them! Betrayed me! You killed our friends."

"DON'T YOU DARE get sentimental with me, Bradley. I didn't want them on the ship, remember? I wanted you dead, because as you've clearly demonstrated, you were the best of them. Without you, they would have been lost. But to acknowledge you point, yes, I killed our former Darkeley fellows. They had lost their way, just as you had; correction was necessary. And _Sensei _Garmadon's former students needed to go, too."

"And Nelson?"

Gene paused momentarily. "His death was... unfortunate. But I would do it all over again in service to my one Master and Emperor!"

Losing the fury for a moment, Brad hung his head in a sad shame. With a single tear streaming down his cheek, he looked back up with the hammer aimed high, angered.

"I believe you."

Gene ran forward with his swords held high, yelling. As Brad stayed in place, the explosives Ninja also ran forward from behind, closer to him than his leader. Brad, fully aware of his surroundings, dropped the hammer and spun as the Dark Ninja was within an arms reach, kicking his spear out-of-hand and grabbing him by the torso. The Ginger Dark Ninja stopped in his tracks, realizing what was about to happen.

"NO..."

Within the tornado, Brad pressed firmly on the ring of grenades around the Ninja's belt, then threw him towards Gene. The traitor ran to the side, but was to slow to avoid the flaying Ninja's legs, knocking him down onto his knees. He looked up to the side to see the last of his Dark Ninja only ten feet away from him, struggling to get the explosives off his belt. "AAUGH!"

But it was too late. The grenades ignited simultaneously at the entrance to the Throne room, causing the overhead ceiling and doorway to crumble onto him and sending Gene flying into the closest pillar, now bleeding from the impacts. The pillar he was now pinned against started to crumble behind him.

He looked up to see Brad towering over him, now holding his twin katanas, slowly raising one. Fear melted onto his face, causing him to shake his head violently as the rest of his body was too pained to move. "P-please... Brad. Don't... It's me! IT'S ME, BRAD!"

With the blade fully raised, Brad looked at Gene in the eyes, and almost dropped it as the face transformed into the dead face of Nelson. The blood leaking from his lip looked the same, and the wound on his chest was reminiscent of the Purple Ninja's killing blow, and even of the wound that killed Karlof. He was instantly reminded of them, the other Elemental Masters, and all of the other students Gene had killed for the Overlord.

_THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE WANTED._

As Gene continued to stare in pure terror, Brad dropped both blades. "I'm not going to kill you, Gene." His former best friend sighed in relief, and extended his hand to let Brad help him up.

_JUSTICE IS NEEDED._

He swatted the hand away, confusing Gene as the pillar behind him started to fall apart from the explosion's impact. "But I'm not going to save you, either." With solace, Brad turned away and walked towards the unconscious bodies of his friends and Pythor, leaving gene struggling to move.

"No... NO! BRAD, PLEASE! PLEAA-" The pained screams of Gene were cut off as the pillar behind him crumbled down, crushing him into paste. The New Regime of the Dark Army was no more.

* * *

**"_Hmmm,_ ****AH! Her****e**** w****e**** are!****" **As both Jay and Lloyd watched, images flashed onto the screen over them. They both recognized it instantly:

It was the moment Jay "died."

**"Scouring one's memories may be time-consuming, but it pays off so well... Now let's see, after I was locked back into my dormant state and my armies retreated, you... _were transported to another galaxy?_" **The images shifted, and Lloyd did his best to follow along:

Jay jumped through a portal in front of a large circular building, almost immediately knocked out by one of the warriors that he brought back to help him; the one called Anakin.

He fought a bunch of lean yellow robots, re-discovering his ability to use Spinjitzu, as well as discovering his ability to use the force.

He was tortured, losing his eye, but gaining a yellow-and-black demon friend and a new droid companion in the process.

He uses a cosmic power to destroy an entire cruiser in space.

He befriends pirates, warriors, droids, and clones alike.

Suddenly, the images shifted to show Jay's face, only it was different: He had both eyes, and they were yellow. He was wearing all black, and holding a red blade in his hand. Beside him was an old man dressed elegantly holding a similar red blade, and a hunched over figure in a black robe with his face covered.

The images showed the evil-Jay now fighting Jay, confusing Lloyd. Then a portal opened, showing Ninjago overhead.

**"SO, the portal came from YOU!"**

Evil Jay started to walk towards the portal, but the image showed Jay blast a raw bolt of lightning through his chest, going through the portal and turning it red as Evil-Jay had corrupted it.

**"WOW, this just got better! The dark power that brought me back came from you as well, Jay! You and you're dark clone. Poetic."**

The images now showed Jay stare at the portal close and Evil-jay die from the wound.

Now, the images showed him fighting alongside people of every background; pirates, clones, droids, Mandalorians, witches, bounty hunters, all fighting against a common enemy.

Then, it showed him kill an old man with his lightning, and peace was brought to the galaxy.

The images dissipated, leaving Lloyd staring at Jay in a new light. His friend was doing what they had been trying to do for the past ten years. The Overlord laughed at the situation, grabbing Jay by the neck with a smile.

**"I see it now! Jay, when you defeated me ten years ago, it was a sign! It was meant to happen! We are alike, you and I! We are both Masters of our own games. You brought MILLIONS of people together to bring peace, just as I have! You secured your victory through swift strokes of power, just as I have! Don't you see it, Jay? The parallels between our paths? We are the same: We are not pawns, but players of the Great Game!"**

The Master of Lightning shook his head in protest. "I am NOTHING like you!"

_"HE IS RIGHT, OVERLORD." _A calm voice echoed around them, immediately causing the Overlord to back up in surprised fear. **"N-NO! Impossible!"**

Lloyd stared at him confused, and looked to his side to see Jay's eyes wide open. "I don't believe it..."

As both ninja stared at the Overlord, an old man appeared before them, standing in the Ovelord's way. He worse a simple black Gi, a straw hat, and had a short white mustache. There was something oddly familiar about him.

"Jay, who is that?"

The Master of Lightning continued to stare in surprise. "Lloyd, I've never had the gift for introductions, but allow me to introduce your grandfather, The First Spinjitzu Master."

* * *

**BOOM. PLEASE review.**


	29. End of an Era

**Hey y'all! Sorry for not updating in a bit, I did say some stuff is going on. Anyway, this is the CLIMAX, and there are only TWO chapters left after this one!**

**To FireWriter316, if you are still reading this story (which I hope you are), I did manage to fit in one request, though it might not have been in the capacity you foresaw.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 29: The End of an Era**

On the battlefield, swords clang, blasts were shot, and the Dark Army forces were continuously falling. Kai noticed the advantage they were gaining as Jay's friends Rex and MoBy ran to his side, shooting at a few incoming Nindroids as they noticed the remaining Dark Army soldiers retreating.

"We've got them on the run, Commander Kai!'

The Master of Fire was perplexed by the title. "_Commander?_"

The clone captain looked to his droid companion with slight hesitation before explaining. "Apologies, sir... but we are used to official military titles, and seeing as how you are a Ninja like Jay, though not as skilled as we've seen him in action-"

"HEY! I resent that!"

"Sorry, sir!"

MoBy cut in. "We can discuss the greater details of who is what when we are all done, right now we need to- LOOK OUT!"

A stray flurry of arrows flew down upon them. Rex and MoBy managed to blast almost all of them, but as Kai had his back turned, one stray arrow went into his back. "AUGH!" He fell onto his knees, caught by the droid. "Medic!"

As Kix ran forward and lay Kai on his stomach to look at the wound, the remaining Ninja forces (Nya, Cole, Zane, Dareth, Pixal, The Mechanic, and Ronin) circled around to protect them with Rex and MoBy, realizing the remaining Nindroids, Sons of Garmadon, Vermillion, New Anacondrai, and Serpentine Warriors were all running forward in full force with the only faction that remained completely intact:

The Stone Army.

Kozu lead the charge, cutting through some stray Galactic Army warriors alongside the remaining faction leaders. "CHARGE!"

Dareth held his fists up in preparation. "Well, let's hold out for as long as we can..."

* * *

In the digital realm of Prime Empire, The First Spinjitzu Master opened the palm of his hand, releasing a single wave of golden energy that dissipated the tendrils that held onto Lloyd and Jay. As they landed to their feet, the two Ninja looked up at each other to see their appearances were slowly starting to change:

Lloyd's hair was starting to grow back into how it really was in his real-world appearance, and the green in his eyes were becoming predominant again.

The scars on Jay's face were re-appearing, as was his facial hair. His muscles broadened as well, and the eye that the scars laid over turned into a clear white orb.

They both nodded to one another, walking to each side of the First Spinjitzu Master as they faced a frightened Overlord. The Dark Master shook slightly in disbelief at the sight of his three greatest enemies standing together. **"No! NO! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! I DON'T BELEIVE IT!"**

The soothing voice of Ninjago's creator echoed around them as he spoke. _"What you believe is irrelevant, Overlord. I am here, in this world between worlds, as a sign that you have gone too far. Fate itself has placed me here, for you have tipped the scales too far against the light. It is time for reconciliation." _

Purple flames encompassed all four of the Dark master's fists. **"THIS ISN'T FAIR! I'VE WON! THE BLANCE HAS BEEN KEPT!" **He threw a series of purple fire balls at his first archnemesis, but just as they were inches away from the old man's face, they too dissipated into nothingness as he stepped forward.

**"I lost to you all those thousands of years ago..." **Another blast, to no avail as Lloyd blocked them with his own Green energy. **"Then I won against Lloyd, however briefly before I was locked back in thanks to your golden power..." **He tried to spin towards the First Spinjitzu Master this time, but Jay knocked him off his feet with lightning-fast speed, causing him to back away from the trio using both his legs and arms.

**"And then... then I came back a third time... and took _EVERYTHING _from Jay, and took back _your _son - and _your _father - into my fold, just as Jay single-handedly locked me back once again, this time at his own expense, bringing the scales back to a balance..." **

The dark figure stopped backing away and looked up, with almost visible distain in his eyes. **"But at what cost, hmm? Years of unrivaled "peace" only lead to infighting amongst the people. Your pacifist views towards your subjects depletes the very essence of ruling peacefully. Thus, I returned in full force to establish a peaceful coexistence amongst all who have opposed you! I CREATED A PURE BALANCE!"**

The First Spinjitzu Master held his hand up, signaling the other two to stop walking forward alongside him as he continued to approach the fallen villain. Once he was at his feet, he knelt down towards him. To everyone else's surprise, he held his hand out in a friendly manner.

_"Come with me, Overlord... your time has come. Oblivion is not as bad as you would believe. I know it. My sons know it. Even Lloyd and Jay know it... they have both faced it against you, and Jay has seen it himself." _The old man turned and winked at Jay, who was only now just realizing that vision/dream he had seen him in 10 years ago was in the afterlife of the Departed Realm.

Lloyd turned to Jay in slight confusion. His grandfather turned back to the Overlord. The Dark figure stared in hesitation at his old enemy for several moments...

Before summoning every inkling of power he could to blast him back between the two Ninja. **"NEVER, you old fool! I have seen oblivion! We all have! I have stared into the never-ending pit, into the void itself, just as you did when you faced me millennia ago! And just as you did, Lloyd, when you flew your golden dragon into my very being. AND YOU DID, _JAY, _when you incinerated us both by absorbing my cosmic power!"**

The pair ran back to help the First Spinjitzu Master back up, but by the time they got to him, he was already on his feet and staring directly against the Overlord. His own fists lit up with pure golden energy. _"I cannot face him directly, as I have already passed into the next plane..._" He looked to his right into his grandson's eyes. _"But I can help in a _different _way..."_

To the confusion of the Overlord, the First Spinjitzu Master blasted both Lloyd and Jay with his golden beams, encompassing the two. It took the Dark master only a moment to realize what he was doing. But it was a moment too late. **"NO!"**

The golden beams turned into full spheres, fully embracing the two Ninja. As it dissipated, Lloyd emerged with his Golden Master Gi, and Jay Emerged with his Stone Warrior Gi. Lloyd's eyes glowed with the Golden Energy he had used to defeat the Overlord. Both of Jay's eyes looked like galaxies within his eye sockets, as he was now re-imbued with the cosmic powers he himself used to defeat the Overlord.

_"Now, Overlord..." _Ninjago's creator stepped forward in the middle of the two all-powerful Ninja, the trio now facing their foe. _"...We are all Gods here." _He opened up his palms, and several blue streams of energy shot out and circled around the Dark figure.

**"NOOO!"** He let out a series of blasts at the surrounding light blue balls of energy, though they simply phased through them. The balls weren't attacking him, but instead approaching him slowly as faces began to appear on them, staring harshly at the Overlord.

The face of Ed.

The face of Edna

The face of Sensei Wu.

_Sensei _Garmadon.

Misako.

Ray.

Maya.

Mystake.

The Emperor.

The Empress.

Nelson.

Karlof.

In a chorus, the 12 voices all rang out one word loudly: "SHAME!" As if the word left a horrible ringing echo, the Overlord gripped his ears with two hands and continued to blast at them with the other two. Jay and Lloyd both started to approach him with their own hands raised, ready to blast. Unfortunately, he noticed.

**"NICE TRY!"**

He conjured every dark and golden power at his disposal and blasted two beams at Jay, and two at Lloyd. With his cosmic energy, Jay met the two purple beams. Lloyd followed suite with his golden energy. Even with their revived strength, the Overlord's power would outlast theirs.

Suddenly, four ghost appeared at their sides. Ed and Edna's transparent figures clutched onto Jay's shoulders, and Misako and Garmadon's transparent figures did the same with Lloyd.

"Lloyd! You both have to get to him yourselves! We can give you a moment, but you mustn't waste time! Only a moment, do you understand?!" Both Lloyd and Jay nodded frantically at Garmadon's shouting spirit.

Edna's ghostly hand caressed her son's cheek. "Sweetheart, let go. Jay, you are ready. Let go. Let go!" As the Overlord let out a defiant scream, both Lloyd and Jay stopped firing their beams and jumped to the side, giving the four spirits, as well as the eight others, a chance.

All 12 ghosts combined into one light and flashed in the Overlord's face, temporarily blinding him. At their chance, the two Ninja ran forward and lit up their fists with their powers.

The Overlord's sight came back just in time for him to see both Ninja standing in front of his kneeling form. Lloyd's two golden Fists were aimed at his chest, and one of jay's was aimed specifically at his heart. **"It can't be..." **Jay allowed himself a soft smirk.

"You were right Overlord: Our path's our eerily similar. But there is _ONE _key difference. When you looked at oblivion, and stared into the void..."

With a speed so fast only the Overlord could see it with his heightened senses, Jay's right hand phased straight into the Overlord's Golden Armor and his chest, clutching onto his heart.

"...you blinked."

The Master of Lighting removed his hand from the Overlord's chest, crushing his black heart into dust with a frying clutch of both lightning and cosmic energy. The Overlord stared in disbelief, but only for a moment as Lloyd let out two supreme golden blats at his chest, knocking him onto his back.

As his form hit the ground, the very foundation of the digital world around them began to crumble. He was the very lifesource of the Prime Empire, just as the entrapped citizens were supposed to be his lifeforce. Smaller buildings began to crumble, and as debris fell on the trapped citizen's their avatars blinked out of digital existence.

The First Spinjitzu Master once again walked towards his old foe's fallen form, kneeling down as he held onto his hand in an affirming way. **"So... this is how it ends for me... Surrounded by enemies."**

_"Death makes friends of us all, Overlord. I only wanted you to know that..."_ As the Dark Master's figure slowly began to dust away, the ashes in Jay's palm began to glow, which absorbed him. "Whoa!"

With his final breaths, the Overlord smirked at Jay. **"H-heh... It seems... you will carry my mantle, Jay. Behold-" **He mockingly held up his hands in praise and awe at Jay's figure.

**"Jayson Walker, Master of Lightning... HEIR apparent to the Overlord." **With his own name as his final word, his eyes shut and his body dusted away, embracing death like an old friend.

* * *

"LOOK OUT!" The Ninja and Galactic Army forces prepared to embrace the full might of the Stone Army warriors leading the charge, but just as Kozu jumped up to stab Dareth, his entire body crumbled into nothingness.

The Dark Army stopped dead in its tracks. Stone Army warriors looked to one another in fear as they unwillingly followed their General's lead. The Son's of Garmadon, Vermillion, New Anacondrai, and Serpentine all stared in a fearful shock as the remaining Nindroids began to twitch and spark until they fell down, destroyed from their Master's death.

With the last of the Nindroids falling down dead, and the Stone Army warriors crumbled into fragments of their indestructible material so much so that their could be no hope of ever putting them back together, the remaining Dark Army soldiers looked back up to the Galactic Army:

_The Wisp'_s cannons were aimed down upon them, now without any risk of wasting ammunition on the indestructible warriors.

Gunships hovered above them, cannons aimed at each and every one of them.

The Jedi, Clones, Droids, Nightsisters, Hondo's Pirates, Nightbrothers, and Mandalorians flanked around them all, lightsabers and blasters aimed at steady levels.

As Kix continued to fix up Kai, the remaining Ninja continued to surround him for safety's insurance.

Nya, Cole, MoBy, Rex, and Ahsoka walked forward to the remaining faction leaders who weren't captured: Commander Blunck, Chen, and Killow. Rex and MoBy had their guns aimed Blunck and Chen, and Ahsoka ignited both her blades in Killow's direction. The trio of Galactic Allies stopped in front of the trio of faction leaders as Cole and Nya stopped in front of Killow, next to Ahsoka.

Cole looked around them with a triumphant smirk, noticing the Galactic Army forces enclose around the few hundred Dark Army soldiers. Nya stared daggers in Killow's eyes. "I believe surrender is in your best interest, _Big Man._"

The last of the Biker Generals looked at Chen, then to Blunck, nodding slowy at them both as all three dropped their weapons and raised their arms in surrender. "I think you are right, Master of Water."

Noticing what they were doing the Serpentine, Sons of Garmadon, Vermillion, and New Anacondrai that remained followed their lead, allowing several hundred Clones to run forward and cuff each and every one of them.

* * *

"-YEAUGH!" The last thing the Mailman remembered was seeing a building fall onto him. NO, wait- that's not true... it was a fake reality. _Prime Empire._

He noticed the machine that had encased them in a wave of energy in front of him stopped humming, and was now sparking in a broken fashion. To his sides, the other slave-citizens of Ninjago's eyes were reverting back from the entranced white back to their original colors. Each person let out a sudden yell of fear as they "woke up" before realizing the actual situation.

"Mailman?" The purple-dragged public servant turned to see the Doc hold his head in confusion. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Doc. But I think..." They both looked up to see the smog that blacked the sky for years begin to dissipate, revealing a clear blue one. "I think _they _won!" Across the realm, every station that held prisoners or slaves had their own Prime Protocol machinery break down:

In Kryptarium, the Commissioner and the rest of the police force woke up startled, realizing that there were no Dark Army soldiers in the compound to hold them.

In hundreds of Dark Matter mines across the Dark Island and the Island of Ninjago, chains were being broken, and machinery was being demolished, promising that their terror would never again be put to use.

In Metalonia, Karlof's people let out roars of applause as they began to realize their now-hopeful reality.

* * *

In the Prime Empire, Jay and Lloyd looked around to see the world start to crumble into nothingness. "_It's all right, boys."_ The both looked to see the First Spinjitzu Master stand up, reaching into the ashes of the Overlord to pull out the Golden Armor.

"_This Armor was made from the Golden Weapons of Creation and my very own Dragon Armor. Their purpose has been tainted. I trust you know what to do with it, Jay." _The Blue Ninja took the armor with both hands, nodding. "Yes, sir."

"Grandfather?" Lloyd looked confused as the form of Ninjago's creator began to dust away in a similar fashion to the Overlord. "Will I see you again?"

The old man smiled at his legacy. _"Not in this lifetime, grandson. But have no fear..." _He held onto Lloyd's now-golden shoulder while looking at both him and Jay. _"You both have great power now: Lloyd, you once again carry my own Golden power. Jay, along with your own gift of Lightning, you have _inherited _the Overlord's Dark Cosmic powers. You are now two sides of the same coin: Ninjago's saviors. Use your powers well, and all will be good."_

The pair nodded and began to bow down on one knee in respect. _"No, no!" _Bringing them back onto their feet, he backed up and began to descend onto one knee himself. _"It is I who should be bowing to you. Jay Walker and Lloyd Garmadon: Ninjago's heroes."_

Before Jay or Lloyd could respond, the body of the First Spinjitzu Master dusted away into a flurry of lights, and the last of the Prime Empire "realm" fell down upon them.

*IN THE REAL WORLD*

Brad had just finished placing Jay and Lloyd's unconscious bodies comfortably against the balcony's wall as he began to hear cheers from the people below. Standing up, he could see that the people were now freed from whatever enchantment they were being held in. _They did it!_

"-YEAUGH!" A sudden shriek of surprise from Lloyd caused Brad to jump back, his heart racing. "LLOYD! You did it!" Lloyd got onto his feet, and to the surprise of his young student, his green Gi shimmered into a golden glow. "Whoa."

"-AAUGH-oh, we're here." Jay too stood onto his feet, noticing Lloyd's new look in the real world. "Nice, but what about-" Before he could even finish his sentence, his entire body began to glow with a white outline, and as his fingertips lit up with blue lightning, both of his eyes turned into galaxy's. The cosmic Power had returned with him. Looking down, he watched the Golden Armor materialize in his hands.

Brad was at a loss for words. "Is the Overlord...?" The silent smiles from both his teachers confirmed his deepest wish. Then suddenly, he regained his serious expression as he turned to the only remaining Dark Army member in the Palace that was still alive: Pythor, now tied up. "What do we do about him?"

Jay stared at the snake that plunged a knife into his fathers back with a grin as he watched. His fist momentarily lit up in anger before the rage dissipated. The Cosmic Ninja looked from Pythor's unconscious form to the surrounding dead Dark Ninja. _This isn't what Dad would want. _"There's been enough death for one day. Pythor will face justice."

Brad and Lloyd both nodded, picking up the Anacondrai's form.

"...Whu-what happened?" All three Ninja stared down at Cyrus, who was finally waking up from his knocked out state. The very first thing that Ninjago's smartest man saw was the scarred-and-glowing Master of Lightning kneeling down with one hand extended. "J...Jay?"

With a bright smile "Hey, Cyrus. I told you I'd see you again."

* * *

With Killow being loaded onto a gunship, the last of the Dark Army was now captured. Nya and Kix were helping a bandaged Kai walk without falling over as his wound healed. Cheers rang across the battlefield, though some couldn't help but focus on the dead. Ronin and the Mechanic knelt down at Karlof's body.

"Their sacrifices won't be forgotten."

The others nodded in agreement as Bo-Katan, Hondo, Boba Fett, and others began to walk forward towards Jay's original friends. "What now?"

A black-purple sphere appeared in front of all of them, causing everyone to raise their respective weapons in preparation, recognizing what it was. "It's one of the Overlord's portals!"

But just as it appeared, the sphere of energy disappeared, revealing five figures:

Brad, who was holding onto an unconscious Pythor.

Lloyd, who was glowing with Golden energy.

Cyrus Borg, who was being held onto by Lloyd...

and Jay, who closed his palm as the Realm-Crystal powered portal dissipated. In his other hand, the Golden Armor was lightly glowing, and both his eyes resembled the black void of space with a flurry of stars.

All four were smiling at a shocked crowd, looking at the victory that signified the end of an era. Without hesistation, Jay stepped forward at his old friends and his Galactic Army.

"OK... there's still much to do. Let's get to work."

* * *

**There we go. Two chapters left, I will be done by Monday. PLEASE REVIEW.**


	30. Reconstruction

**SECOND-TO-LAST CHAPTER! This one is really short though, the last one will come out tomorrow.**

**PLEASE leave a comment or review. **

**I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter 30: Reconstruction**

In the days that followed the Overlord's decimation, much had occurred:

Jay and Lloyd traveled to the Golden Peaks with the Golden Armor and Dark Dragon Blade. As their purpose had been corrupted by the Overlord, the First Spinjitzu Master's site of creation for the Golden Weapons would become their home once more.

"Are you certain, Jay?"

The Cosmic Master of Lightning, who had managed to control his power enough to turn his eyes back to their original look when he wanted, nodded with a blank face. "Yes. Your grandfather gave us this for a purpose: to return them here so that they could never be used against the Light again." Without hesitation, he threw the armor down into the molten golden lava. With a small sigh, Lloyd did the same with the Dark Dragon Blade.

Not long after, the following events occurred:

Reopening the gateway to the greater Galaxy using his new cosmic powers, and combining it with the Golden power of creation, Jay and Lloyd established a concrete linked passageway of space travel between the different planes of existence; a _cosmic _hyperspace lane. Using it, Jay's Galactic Armada brought aid and relief to Ninjago. New construction forces came to rebuild Ninjago City and the other settlements of the realm. At the advice of the Commissioner and Commander Fox, Kryptarium Prison was updated so that it's security systems were similar to the Republic's prisons.

The remaining soldiers of the Dark Army and their supporters were imprisoned in the new Kyptarium, sans the faction leaders that survived. Nadakhan, Aspheera, Vex, Killow, Blunck, and Chen were sentenced to be imprisoned for life on Coruscant's Maximum Security prison.

Brad personally traveled to return Karlof's body to Metallonia, where he was honored as a Hero of the Realm.

The Dark Army Academy was demolished by the Ninja, and the grounds were repurposed for a similar purpose: To provide a new orphanage and schooling that would undo the brainwashing for all those who were orphaned under the Overlord's rule. Dareth, Ronin, and the Mechanic volunteered to operate the new grounds as the official teachers.

The grounds of the original Monastery were cleaned up thanks to the Galactic Army's aid, retrieving the damaged vehicles in the underground safehouse to be rebuilt. The Ninja personally scoured the wreckage, finding the First Spinjitzu's remains for cremation. Jay stayed behind a little longer, finding the only remaining seed of the tree that had stood in front of the Monastery for a later purpose.

Borg Tower began it's reconstruction with the aid of Droid designs and Borg's input. He was reinstated as Ninjago's Head of Technological Development, though he would now be advised by not only Zane and Pixal, but former Separatist Tactical Droids remained stationed with him to expand his knowledge of the greater Galaxy and its technology.

With the aid of Mother Talzin's Nightsister magic, Cole's ghostly state was reverted, with all that remained being a green scar on his forehead. With their new victory, the Master of Earth and Master of water announced their official engagement to their friends.

The Dark Palace, which had stood in place of the previous palace that had stood for prosperity, was cleansed of its evil taint by the Ninja and their allies. However, the next phase of reconstruction was FAR more difficult:

\- Without any established leadership that remained in the wake of the Dark Army's defeat, Ninjago's populous had unanimously decided that they wanted a new Emperor, one who stands for justice and has the bloodright as the direct descendant to Ninjago's creator:

Lloyd Garmadon.

\- With Lloyd as the new Emperor of Ninjago, and using his power of Creation, LNinjago's lifeforce was returned back to its peaceful state. He even welcomed Grimfax's army into Ninjago, as their own home realm was a desolate wasteland. They now occupied the area that Vex had owned during the Dark Army's rise to power.

\- At Jay's request, Ninjago was welcomed as an official world of the Republic. After much deliberation with Lloyd, Brad had decided to depart from the path of a Ninja to be Ninjago's first Senate Representative, under the tutelage of Lux Bonteri.

\- Now that all of the other original Ninja had spread out to serve Ninjago in their own ways, it was official that the team had retired. Cole and Nya retired to live in Ignacia Village. Zane and Pixal lived in the New Borg Tower as Cyrus's special advisors. Dareth, Ronin, and the Mechanic were now the heads of the new schooling system for Ninjago's poor and oppressed, to the gratitude of Jay. As Lloyd was the New Emperor of Ninjago, Kai now served as his right hand man, First General of Ninjago's new military forces.

However, Jay had made it clear that although he would forever loyal to Ninjago and Lloyd as its Emperor, he would remain as the First Admiral of the Galactic Armada and use his new cosmic powers to make the Greater Galaxy a greater place. Because Kai would serve as Ninjago's official military head, and Zane and Pixal as the technological advisors, Ninjago's military would expand to aid the Galactic Armada by providing new spacecrafts and energy sources.

"I hope you understand, Lloyd. I will be traveling constantly, finding new worlds and expanding the connectivity of them. But I will be visiting constantly."

"I do, Jay. We all do. You have a greater purpose, one that cannot be bound to a single world."

Grateful for his understanding, Jay's smile slowly dissipated as he came to a new realization. "You know, throughout this whole thing, I never got the chance to revisit the old Junkyard!"

Lloyd looked to Kai with hesitation. "We should probably gather the others. Jay, there's something we need to tell you..."

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**LIKE I SAID, VERY SHORT CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW. Last chapter comes out tomorrow.**


	31. Epilogue

**Here is the Epilogue! **

**I own nothing.**

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**Epilogue**

As the sun began to go down, the few living creatures that inhabited the Sea of Sand looked overhead as a small blue gunship flew overhead. The ship's soft _roar _echoed through the biome.

The craft eventually landed at the base of the scattered rubble that was once known as "Ed and Edna's Scrap n' Junk," and later the "Walker Yard." Now, it remained as the lifeless foundation of the Knight's journey, where he watched his parent's get murdered over 10 years ago.

Jay hopped out of the ship. Though he could have easily summoned a portal to come here, he wanted to see the whole desert on the way.

He was now wearing a fresh new set of Ninjago-inspired Jedi robes. Styled after his original Gi, the robes were folded in standard Jedi manner with a blue outline and a black inline. Though still keeping his goatee, the Master of Lightning replaced his dead eye under the eyepatch with his robotic eye once again, symbolizing the new state of inner peace he felt.

Nevertheless, the site before him was painful. After their victory and the established new allegiances, Lloyd and the Ninja had explained what the Dark Army did to his childhood home. He even confronted Nadakhan personally to forgive him before the Djinn was shipped off to Coruscant's maximum security prison. But despite how ready he thought he was, nothing could have prepared him for the complete absence off the his childhood home.

He walked forward through the charred sand, noting the incinerated rubble and scattered scraps that remained, all of which were buried under new layers of sand from the past years. After circling the entire area for a few moments, he came to the center of the junkyard, and took out two items from the satchel on his shoulder.

In one hand, he held the folded original Stone Armor Gi he had worn the day he originally defeated the Overlord, sending him to the Galaxy far far away. In the other, he held the Elemental Blade of Lightning. He stared at them both for a moment before placing them on top of one another on the surface of the charred sand. Then, closing his eyes and calling on the Force, he created a small chasm to open up underneath the two items, burying them in the sand as the hole closed back up.

Jay stood back up as the sandhole disappeared completely, then unhinged a different item off of his belt: a new Lightsaber, constructed by himself. Staring at the hilt, he ignited it, revealing a glowing blade of yellow: The secondary color of lightning.

"Excuse me?" An unfamiliar voice alerted Jay to his surroundings, causing him to turn the lightsaber back off. Standing by the edge of the charred sand, an old traveler stared at Jay quizzically. "It has been so long since anyone has been here. Who are you?"

"I'm Jay."

The traveling stranger looked at him confused. "Jay who?"

The Master of Lightning turned to the side, seeing the ghosts of Ed and Edna slowly take form, smiling at him in the distance. He smiled back before turning back to the stranger.

"Jay Skywalker."

...

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**JUST KIDDING!**

**Could you imagine if someone actually finished a comprehensive story that way?! How STUPID would that be?! WHO WOULD DO THAT, RIGHT? It makes no sense!**

**Anyways, here's the actual ending. lol**

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Jay walked to the center of the junkyard's foundation, before quickly turning back towards the gunship. Outside it stood Lloyd, Kai, Nya, Cole, Zane, Pixal, Dareth, Ronin, the Mechanic, Clutch, and Brad.

Kneeling down to manually dig a small whole in the sand. As he closed it back up, he placed a small tree sapling. Patting the sand back into place, he made a finger gun motion, and with the powers he absorbed from the Overlord, he shot a small beam of energy at the ground.

Immediately, the surrounding charred sand began to convert into a lush field of green, encompassing the entire former Walker estate. The new layer of sand that remained on the surface was absorbed by the new field of grass, replaced by flowers of every color. Jay then raised both his hands in the air, calling upon the Force once more.

As his friends watched, scraps that had been buried for years underneath layers of sand slowly began to unearth themselves, floating into the air above Jay's head. As the Master of Lighting closed his eyes, he made movements with his hands, melding the scraps together into a new shape. Slowly, the group behind him realized he was creating two statues standing next to each other, and Nya was the first to realize who it was.

The new, 3:2 scale size statues of Ed and Edna was placed by Jay to stand in the entrance to the new Walker garden.

Then, to the surprise of Lloyd especially, the sapling that Jay had placed grew fully to a healthy tree. Though it wasn't just any tree; the sapling came from the dead branches of the very same tree that stood at the foot of the Monastery for decades. The site brought tears to the Ninja's eyes as Jay made his way back to his friends, hugging them in a happy solace.

Lloyd sniffed softly through the hug, then backing away slightly to look at the site once more, reading the new sign Jay also made out of scraps with the Force. "Walker Yard: A small slice of paradise." The description brought out a collective chuckle, giving Lloyd another chance to hug his friend.

"Do you think... Do you miss them, Jay?"

Jay looked at him puzzled by his query. "I mean... do you think those we have lost would be remembered?"

Uncharacteristically, the Master of Lightning said nothing. He merely smiled at his friend and shifted his gaze to the side, which everyone followed... to see the spirit of Sensei Wu appear before them at the entrance of Walker Yard.

"Sensei!"

The old man didn't say a word. He simply smiled with tears in his eyes, nodding to Jay, then Lloyd, then the others. As he did, _Sensei_ Garmadon's departed spirit appeared next to his brother. Then the form of Misako smiled at her son lovingly as she held her husband's hand. On Wu's other side, Ed and Edna smiled at Jay.

Next to them were Ray and Maya, who smiled at their children. The ghosts of professor Julien and a younger Echo waved at Zane and Pixal.

Behind the group of ghosts, hundreds of spirits appeared behind them; The Elemental Masters, lead by Karlof as he nodded to Brad. The former students of the Ninja, lead by Nelson. All the citizens who died under the Dark Army's rule, now free from their oppressors.

The Ninja began to let tears freely flow down their faces, and the ghosts waved as they dissipated back to the Departed Realm, finally at peace. As they did, Jay didn't break his gaze with his parents while responding to Lloyd.

"I think they could never be forgotten."

The Master of Lightning, now the Jedi Admiral of the 1st Expeditionary Fleet, with one synthetic eye, a pirate goatee, and the Force as his ally, waved goodbye one last time to the family that made him who he was. He still had a lot of work to do with the Jedi and the greater Galaxy, but or now...

_I'm home, Ma... I'm home._

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**The End.**

**PLEASE compare the ending scene to this story to the VERY first scene of A Knight's Journey! I love the hidden parallels I made to get to this point.**

**I love writing these two stories. Anyway, I am going to be taking a long break now, but When I come back, I'll likely start by doing a few one-shots. Please leave your comments and reviews. Thank you so much my readers!**


	32. Final Notes to my Readers

p style="text-align: center;"strongHey everyone, just wanted to have my final shoutout to my readers for this story! The last chapter is now posted,/strongstrong though I'm sure a number of you probably missed it because I posted it so close to the penultimate. /strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongAnyway, please read the final chapter and let me know how you liked the story, what you disliked, and what you want me to do next! I will be taking a break for a bit! But I'll be back eventually with some one-shots and then another story./strong/p  
p style="text-align: center;"strongPLEASE give me constructive feedback! Thank you all! /strong/p 


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